How To Give American-Made Gifts This Christmas

Does it seem to you like it was just yesterday that you were decorating your house for Christmas and making plans for festive New Year's Eve? Now that Christmas is right around the corner, you may be wanting to get your Christmas gifts purchased and wrapped so you won't be stressed later on. If you are thinking of giving presents that boost the economy in your community and in your country, here are some ideas to consider.

Benefiting Your Own Finances - With all of the expenses that you have to face around the holidays, are you trying to cut corners by reducing the amount you spend on presents? One way you can do that is by making your own gifts. There is just something very special about giving gifts that are created by hand. If you want to give gifts that you have personally created, consider choosing a simple idea that will not be to hard to complete before Christmas.

One idea dishtowels embroidered in the red work embroidery style. Working on a plain dishtowel, work with only red embroidery thread as you create an easy pattern. Children's coloring books or story books are often a good place to copy pictures of objects like flowers, houses, puppies, kittens and butterflies.  

A great gift for kids of all ages is to make stuffed teddy bears. Simply cut out two teddy bear shapes from your desired fabric, sew all but about a two-inch opening which you will later use to add stuffing, and then sew on two black buttons for eyes and a tiny red button for the teddy bear's nose.

Benefiting Your Community - A great way to find unique gifts is to search for them right in your own community.

Besides the traditional craft shows that often start in late September or October, look for groups of artisans that sell things in your public library, at schools, and at other public places.  One example of this is that senior citizens often make extra money by selling things they have made by hand. When you support these individuals you are not only giving unique gifts, but you are benefiting people who are helping themselves in their retirement years.

Another idea for gifts made right in your community is to order homemade breads, cookies, pies and other baked goods that are made by youth who are trying to make their own spending money or who are saving money for college. These items will be wonderful gifts for your neighbors.

Benefiting Your Country - Buying things made right in the United States is a great boost for the economy by providing jobs and by keeping currency right in your own country. Shopping for American-made items is also smart because you can depend on the fact that items are usually well made with an attention to detail. In addition, they often have a guarantee to back them up.

Think about giving sets of USA-made clothing to both the men and women on your Christmas list. A set of jeans with the accompaniment of a sweatshirt or t-shirts to wear with them will surely be well received. 

One great thing about shopping for gifts made close to home is that you will feel like a patriot. 

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