The holiday season is here and brings the rush of gift shopping. While some people snatch up gifts during Black Friday sales, others prefer making their gifts. During the pandemic, many people turned to art as a pastime. Two such art forms include crocheting and ceramics, which are great holiday gift options.

Crocheting creates tiny, individual stitches using a single hoop. Due to this repetitive process, crocheting is relatively easy to learn. However, it is still very time-consuming.

“I can see why many other people think that it wouldn’t be worth it considering that you only get one piece and it takes a really long time,” freshman Mikayla Hu said. Nevertheless, Hu still thinks it is worth taking the time and using her skills to make a gift.

“I do think that it’s worth all that time because, you know, it’s just something that I enjoy,” she said.

Besides crocheting, handmade pottery is also a unique gift that will impress. Pottery is made by shaping clay, firing it with a kiln, then adding color with glaze or underglaze and firing it again. Kitchen ovens can also fire clay for those without access to a kiln.

“I’ve made soap dispensers. I’ve made candle holders, different functional things for people [and] braided bowls,” ceramics teacher Amy Weaver said.

Ceramics are unique in that they can serve a use for the recipient and are not purely decorative. Furthermore, ceramics are relatively accessible to beginners.

“There’s a lot of art studios around here that do offer art and ceramic classes,” Ms. Weaver said.

This way, any student can take a class to learn ceramics, whether as a hobby or to make gifts.

Finally, a card for the recipient is necessary after obtaining a gift. A card is another excellent way to incorporate art, even if the gift is store-bought. When done correctly, a card contains a feeling of sentimentality crucial to the holiday gift-giving spirit. One way to personalize a card is to draw something meaningful for them. However, only some excel at drawing, but that does not mean the card must be absent of art.

“I don’t really know how to draw. So I just write everything. Like, I write the person’s name in calligraphy,” junior Ilana Vainstein said.

Besides drawing, calligraphy is relatively easy to learn and can make writing look beautiful, adding a unique touch to a message and gift. There are various types of calligraphy depending on the desired tone.

“We learned about faux calligraphy, which you can do without a brush pen. So there’s a lot of different options,” Vainstein said.

Handmade gifts show a sense of familiarity and thoughtfulness towards the recipient. Whether it is crocheting, ceramics, or simply making a card from scratch, handmade gifts leave an impactful impression that keeps the holiday season bright and filled with joy.

“They’re personalized so you can put your little touch on for the people that you’re giving it to. They are more memorable. Sometimes people want a certain thing and they can’t find it,” Ms. Weaver said.

Handmade gifts make the recipient feel cared for and valued, and the gift-giver will feel accomplished. Adding little details to make a gift more unique shows the care put into it, and it is rewarding to make something not in stores.

“It’s the sense of accomplishment once you’re done. It just makes me so happy,” Hu said.