do you like making stuff with your hands?
By lorelai
@lorelai (1558)
Italy
December 9, 2007 6:06am CST
I usually watch documentaries on tv where they are talking about people who make different stuff with their hands. There's a man who makes cooking pots out of stone. It is really interesting and adds great taste to what ou are cooking. he started a business but he can't find people who'd work for him and he is paying very good. There's a lot of people here in Italy who say they can't find job or something like that. There's also a man who has a lot of cows and he makes cheese milk and different products. he does everything in more or less natural way his grandfather was doing but he can't find anyone who'd work for him .He offers good money and even a place to sleep for people who decide to work for him but he can't find anyone. I know that some people say the same and they are paying little money but I think that people got lazy today. Most of my friends like pancakes with nutella, and they adore them but they just don't like to make them because it takes too much time. I don't have this problem, if I like something I do it. Or I make marmalades. This year I did marmalades of: chestnut, orange, apple, pear, and different combinations of those. All my friends like them and they say they admire me but the would never do it because it takes too much time. One of those friends spends at least 5 hours a day in front of the tv. So why can't she peal an apple and watch tv at the same time? I think that they are all just lazy. I prefer making my own Christmas cards and all my friends like them but they say they don't have time. I make 10 or 15 cards from each big paper I buy (it costs about 1$ the hole paper) and few more cents for decorations so I pay for each card not more then 20cents, if we don't count my hands, so I think it's worth it. Any my friends pay from 1,50$ to more then 2$ for each card. I make cards while I watch tv or something like that so it's not like I waste time on making cards or marmalade while I could be doing something else, more useful.
I think its not important just to earn money but it's also important what yo save? Do you agree?
2 people like this
10 responses
@liera0 (280)
• Philippines
9 Dec 07
Yes I do like making things. Some of the things I make I use as decorations or for something useful in the house. Some I give as gifts on certain occassions. In that way I don't buy gifts at all. I remember birthdays so I tend to make things in advance. I usually do when I'm left with nothing to do or sometimes while doing others things. Like when I'm watching a tv or while I'm doing something in the internet. I tend to collect unwanted things specially those I see as something that could be useful somewhere and put it in a box. To which I will dig on if I'm planning to make something. Times I filled empty perfume bottles that I had collected with iodize salts that I had colored. Made a design by filling it with different colors. A hut from used matchsticks. I also make small pouches using Aida cloth and stitch some design and give as gifts. Its just something I like to do in my spare time and make my work. I sometimes enjoy doing some of those with my cousin's 3yr. old daugther whom they usually leave under my care when they go somewhere. Oh.. almost forgot.. pouring small amounts of paint in a clean empty bottle. Different colors creates design too. can be used as house decor. Sometimes I sell them well to those who wants to buy.
3 people like this
@lorelai (1558)
• Italy
9 Dec 07
That's great idea. I gave some of the things to my friends too. I used to do paper flowers and people liked it but the thing is that it takes too much time to make one, like 30min for 1 flower (more or less depends on a flower) so it was difficult to sell them because the price couldn't be less then 1,5$ and people aren't willing to give 1,5$ for a paper flower.
2 people like this
@alamode (3071)
• United States
9 Dec 07
Money is not something we've ever had a lot of... I have always had to be crafty! I've made my kids clothes, made gifts and cards for every occasion, cooked every kind of food, I make bread, garden, do household repairs, etc. I used to make wedding dresses for extra money to buy my other craft supplies.
Papercrafting is my favorite thing now, making cards and books. Those will be my Christmas gifts this year. With journals selling for around $15 here, I save $14 on each one! And they will be more personal than if I bought them.
@alamode (3071)
• United States
9 Dec 07
Since I hurt my hand, knitting is one of the few things I can still do. To celebrate that, my first internet purchase was a set of circular knitting needles with interchangeable points. They're so easy to hold, and they store in a flat box I can put on a shelf like a book.
I knit in the round so I don't have so many seams to sew. I have a wonderful book by Elizabeth Zimmerman called 'Knitting Without Tears'... I can make all of my sweaters, from baby cardigans to anoraks, from just this book, and I know they're going to fit perfectly!
@ky1119 (698)
• United States
9 Dec 07
I enjoy making things with my hands. I don't make the same kinds of things that you do. I knit, crochet, and loom knit. I enjoy it though. Theres something gratifying about looking at a finished project knowing that you made it on your own. Yes, earning money is important but you're right, saving is important as well.
2 people like this
@lorelai (1558)
• Italy
9 Dec 07
I knit too but I am not very good in it because one side always becomes bigger than the other one so I rip a lot (I hope I used the correct word) and then it takes me a lot to do something. I think I need more practice. Yeah, its great to know that you did something by yourself.
1 person likes this
@3lilangels (4639)
• United States
10 Dec 07
yes i love to make stuff with my hands especially crafts and stuff me and my children make together or even creating beautiful hairstyles ith peoples hair since i am a hairdresser.
@chips_chinks (25)
• Philippines
9 Dec 07
I agree with you! besides if you give handcrafted gifts/cards it'll be more meaningful right? I usually make my own cards, even my decors for my trees most are spare beads from my accessories business. its unique and very personalized. its great if people make use of their crafting ideas and innate creativity. you might even earn from it!
2 people like this
@lorelai (1558)
• Italy
9 Dec 07
Earn from it, that a great idea. Just the problem is how. I have a frined who sends at least 50-100 cards, b-day ones or holiday ones a year because she has a lot of pen pals and she never forgets their birthdays and she always sends Christmas cards, I offered her my cards for like 1/3 of what she is paying but she never bought any. I don't know why, and she likes them, I know that she does because I gave her one for her birthday and she put on her closet. She get a lot of cards each year but only my is there. I was thinking about selling on e-bay but then I saw that they charge you some fee if you sell your thing and even if you don't, and they charge extra for the photos so I wouldn't like to spend more than what I'd earn.
1 person likes this
@kianli (546)
• China
10 Dec 07
I do. There's a story behind it that i want to share it here.
When i was in Grade 6 of elementary school, one afternoon, i sat in the classroom and started thinking about things like why can we have machines to do everything i came up with an answer before the machines come into being , our ancestor did everything by they hands, and they found out it was low-efficient so they made something that was later called as machine. From then on i believe that every single individual has the ability to make things by our hands, but the fact is that we're lazy because we already made machines by our hands.
I always did something by hand as christmas gift for my pals, things like bookmark(quite easy~)just not that complicated.
Now i started to take make a radio set by my hand into consideration coz i read a story about a boy making a radio set by himself.
@sunita64 (6469)
• India
10 Dec 07
I love making cardigans and sweters by knitting and whenever I complete one I give it to my near and dear one. Other things I do with my hands is to cook at times I make delicious cookies and eat them as well as let my friends and family enjoy it.
@Adoniah (7513)
• United States
9 Dec 07
I get bored easily so my hands are always busy. I do high relief woodcarvings, I crochet, and make teneriffe lace. I write when the brain is functioning! I can do most of the different types of needle craft even weaving pine needles. I play some musical instruments. Yeah I keep my hands busy.
1 person likes this
@hilary601 (106)
• China
10 Dec 07
i agree with you very much lorelai.i think the thing you save is the thing you earn.though it is not actually same. on today,more and more people think we have less and less time to do ours ,but i don't think so . so ,i like your methods.ha !
1 person likes this
@nanguofong (726)
• China
10 Dec 07
I agree with you. The modern are so lazy.
I will say you are a timesaving, brainy,circumspective lady. but the fact is that not all the people have detected this problem by their heart.
In addition, I also thought if all the people were sensible as you, the differences of people would be blurry, and the cumulate merchandise would not sell, the merchant would be crazy and distraught, hoo.
1 person likes this
