Holiday Gift Making

A Look Back  at the HGM Tradition at Roaring Mouse
Sometimes Life sets you up on a hill and lets you take a long, good look at where you’ve been, where you’re going, and of course (and maybe most importantly) where you are right now. Probably this bout of reminiscing was brought on by some comments on our Facebook page about Holiday Gift Making, way back when we held workshops at Sacajawea Elementary School. These were magical times. I remember moments of looking out over our very large groups of gift makers, noting their quiet focus and dedication and the sincerity of their work. It was all I hoped it would be.

This is the lunchroom at Sacajawea. We are meeting to think about what needs to be done for the day. The crock pots on the stage are for candle making.

The idea for the workshops came about after the frustration of taking my own kids holiday ‘shopping’ and ending up feeling pretty hollow about the experience. I wondered what they were learning from this ritual. The meaning of giving? The value of their money? Sometimes it was fun, but often it was exhausting, and we would find things that were okay, but probably most of them ended up in the give away box.

I wanted something different for my kids, and for the kids I worked with. I wanted them to feel what it meant to give something of themselves, to actually take time to think about the person they were making the gift for, to put craftsmanship and care into the process. I began to gather ideas for projects and miraculously started coming across some great supplies at second hand shops.

Homemade herbed vinegar. I found these unused, beautiful bottles at Goodwill one year. The herbs were from a teacher’s garden.

Wooden oval plaques from Creation Station made the perfect game board. One side was checkers, the other—an original game made up by the kids.

The momentum built up and by the time the next holiday season rolled around I offered the first Holiday Gift Making Workshop at Wedgwood Elementary, where I was teaching the Kindergarten Arts Program at the time. It was packed. The kids were thrilled. The parents were thrilled. The teachers, exhausted, but thrilled.

Hand built porcelain boxes. Once fired and glazed, the kids wrote personal messages which nestled inside, waiting for that special person to find them, over and over again… An especially heartfelt gift.

It’s been going ever since. Every year Roaring Mouse offers these unique, meaningful workshops at our studio.  Our Holiday Gift Making Classes for 2011 are now open for registration. Sign up today! Don’t miss giving your child the opportunity to learn about the joy of making and giving gifts to loved ones…

Hand built bird houses, painted in muted colors. Designs by kids.