Stop the Insanity! Try a Homemade Christmas.

It was a daunting task to come up with presents that didn't look like a third grader's class project. With only four weeks to work, the family was in a frenzy of sewing and building. My father, while glad to help, was less than thrilled about the prospect of constructing frames for magnet boards and wall mirrors in 20-degree weather. More than a few curse words were emitted during the process. ("How in the hell is stain going to set when it's snowing outside?") But mostly we were productive and happy. I wanted my 2- and 4-year-olds to learn the importance of giving, so they painted watercolor abstracts that were surprisingly good.

It was a wonderful Christmas. The kids ended up with one toy each, and, amazingly, they were fine! They played in the wrapping paper and were just happy to be with the family--setting an example for all of us.

We have decided to continue the homemade Christmas. Even with a year to plan, there has been some procrastination. I stared all summer at a neighbor's torn-down barn. It wasn't until mid-November that I grabbed a pallet out of the debris to make deadwood frames. My younger sister knitted a winter hat for every person last year; this year she will continue with scarves--now, there's a lesson in delayed gratification. There is another benefit that has come with our homemade Christmas: once the gift list was abolished, so was the greed that came with it.

This year my sense of dread is gone. I might even put up a tree before Christmas Eve. I watched the lunatics push their way into stores on Black Friday (isn't the name itself an indication of how shoppers feel?) and was relieved that I was not one of them. In fact, my mall time will be chiseled down to a few hours at most. (My husband's family draws names and sets a modest spending limit, which has also reduced the Christmas glut.) I may have finally found the meaning I was searching for, but don't expect to see an inflatable snow globe in my front yard any time soon.

Stratton lives in Berthoud, Colo.

© 2005