DIY Holidays

I'm always surprised by how quickly stores shift from Hallowe'en to Christmas. I was headed out on November 1 with hopes of finding cheap candy and was greeted by candy canes and fruitcake. Personally, I celebrate Christmas, but I like to wait until December.

One of the things that bothers me about the holidays is the push to hit the mall and buy stuff. I love giving gifts, but I don't like buying stuff for the sake of buying stuff. I think that's why a few years ago, I made a pledge to myself that whenever possible, I would buy gifts locally and from downtown stores. It's a bit of a challenge to yourself. When you're in a big MegaMart box store, the possibilities seem overwhelmingly unlimited; but when you're in small stores downtown, you have to think outside of that (big) box. But the thing is, the gifts you buy end up being so much more special. The point isn't just giving, it's giving something that you've put time and thought into.

Even better than running out and buying something is making gifts. Even if Christmas isn't your bag, you can't escape the holiday theme around the city or the crush of people on buses trying to get to the mall. But I'm not crafty! I don't make things! Nonsense! Everyone has a bit of crafty DIY in them. All you need is a little guidance. And you can get that this month downtown. I'm a little biased here: this includes a shameless plug for a store, but since it's for a small, local store that sells handmade items, I'm going to go with it.

This month at Love, Me Boutique (1539 Birmingham Street, next to Woozles bookstore), you can register for two Crafty 101 Workshops. This Thursday (Nov.13) is Sock Monkey making (with me! $8, BYOS - bring your own socks) and Saturday, November 22 is a felted scarf workshop ($22, all materials and tools provided). Then on Friday, November 28, there will be a DIY gift tag stamping station in the Dresden Row Market (same place as Pete's Frootique and Cora's) as a part of Shopping Under the Stars on Spring Garden Rd. All three are beginner friendly and open to kids (with parents) 8 years and up. You do need to pre-register for the Sock Monkey and Scarf workshops.

The scarf alone would definitely cost more than $22 to buy and when it's all said and done, you'll have an awesome gift for someone (or yourself). Trust me: when someone says they love a gift and you get to reply, "I made it", it's an awesome feeling.

But wait...what does all this have to do with a Women's Centre? Well, we support the idea of buying locally (Modern Urban Guides can help you find what's out there) and we definitely support the DIY movement. And there are a lot of small shops in this city that are owned by women who sell goods made by local artisans, many of them women. These local artisans are embracing DIY and traditional crafts and making some amazing things. Get out there and see what they’re making. Another chance to do this is at the Halifax Crafters Holiday Market on December 6 and 7. I’ll bring this up again, closer to the event, but it promises to be full of some fantastic local, crafty goods.

This just in...

from the sust-mar listserv and included in our newsletter, another opportunity to have an ethical holiday:

FAIR TRADE GIFT SALE
10 am - 6 pm
Universalist Unitarian Church, 5500 Inglis St., Halifax, Nova Scotia

Value is on everyone' minds these days.
Quality + fair trade + beautiful textiles = good value!

Find "socially responsible" gifts for your family & friends (& you!). There will be fairly traded scarves, tablecloths & more. This sale will benefit rural women's weaving groups in Thailand & Laos. There will be a "Social Fabric" slideshow throughout the day showing you women making cloth from plants & cocoons as their foremothers did and community development & fair trade in action. Cash and cheques only, please.