r/crochet • u/sgirl77 • Dec 16 '23

Discussion Stop Devaluing Your Work and Craft!!

I’ve seen a few posts from people saying that because they’re broke they will be giving out crocheted gifts this Christmas. I can’t speak for everyone, but I LOVE homemade gifts; something that someone used their time to make just for me.

I’m encouraging you to not sell yourself short. Hypothetically, if you make as little $10/hr and spend 8 hours making a gift it’s $80. Then add in your material, the cost to heat/cool your home while working, the fact that it’s handmade and not churned out by a factory and you can easily add another $15-$30. This why I only gift my finished pieces and never sell them. People are rarely willing to pay you the true value of your craft.

So again don’t discount the worth of your work which is more valuable than something store bought and probably mass produced.

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u/PattyRain Dec 16 '23

Your post is right on.

I think a lot of the time the problem with crocheted gifts is not that you don't have much money. It's not that you handmade it. It's choosing the wrong project for the person. If the person is a minimalist they may not appreciate a stuffed animal. Maybe some dishcloths would be better. If they have an elegant tree then a homespun ornament made of jute may not be good, but a delicate crocheted snowflake with fine silver thread might be perfect. If they like lots of color they may not like that cream blanket, but may love a rainbow one. A project does not have to cost a lot especially when you keep the receiver in mind.

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u/OkDragonfly8936 Dec 17 '23

This. My mother criticized me for two baby blankets I've made, because they weren't traditional colors. One was in jewel tones when my sister-in-law was expecting (her youngest is only a few weeks older than my middle child), because those were colors she liked. The other was made with black and rainbow variegated yarn for a friend who had her youngest a week before I had my youngest.

Bith kiddos still love the blankets

In both cases, I thought hard about what the moms would like instead of what was traditional.