A Hug in a Gift: The Power of Handmade to Hold a Feeling

Tiny treasures that hold more than just glitter, like a little hug in a box.

🎁 The Best Gift I Ever Got

The best Christmas gift I ever got was a pile of scrap fabric. Not wrapped fancy. Not expensive. Just… exactly what I wanted. A mix of textures, colours, tiny patterns — someone saw that this would light me up. That gift didn’t only say “I saw this and thought of you.” It said: “I know you.”

That’s the kind of gift I believe in. The ones that feel like a little hug in a box. Not big. Not loud. But full of care. The kind that says: “You matter to me — enough to notice the small things.”

✨ Not Just Pretty — Personal

I don’t make things just to be looked at. I want them to mean something. Like someone thought of you. Like someone knows the kind of soft detail that would speak to your heart — even if they can’t be there to say it out loud.

That’s why every house has a name, a story, and colours chosen with care. Sometimes they’re sparked by a visit to a friend’s home. Sometimes by a quiet mood I can’t quite put into words. But always, they begin with a feeling.

That’s what turns a pretty piece into a personal one. Because you’re not just giving something that looks nice — you’re giving something that holds a little more.

💖 Made with Heart (Even in the Chaos)

I once made a gift during contractions. Literally while in labour — waiting to head to the hospital.

It was a little scrapbook for my sister-in-law, who was also expecting a baby. I didn’t plan it. I just knew I wanted to make her something that felt personal before I got too busy with my own baby. Something small but filled with love. Not another onesie. Not a generic “new baby” card.

It wasn’t perfect. I made it in a strange state of focus and adrenaline. But I remember putting every piece in with care — like I was sending her a little piece of myself before everything in our lives changed.

I don’t think she knew I made it in that moment. But I think she felt it. Felt that it was special. Thoughtful. Hers.

That’s what handmade can do. It carries a different kind of energy. You don’t always know where it comes from — but you feel it when it’s there.

🌍 When You Can’t Be There in Person

Some gifts carry more than just the thing inside. They carry a message: I’m thinking of you. I wish I could be there. I know what you love.

That’s what I try to make with this work. Not just something to fill a shelf — but something that holds space for the person who receives it. A little world that says: this reminded me of you. A small object that brings comfort, memory, even a smile — every time they pass it by.

Because the people we love aren’t always nearby. But a gift, if it’s made with feeling, can stay nearby. It can sit quietly on a mantel or a tree, and somehow say all the things we couldn’t put into words.

There’s something about holding a handmade object — the texture, the stillness, the quiet presence — that reminds you someone made this just for you.

🌸 A Real Gift Doesn’t Have to Be Big — Just True

The most memorable ones aren’t loud or sparkly — they’re the ones that land softly and stay. They remind someone that they matter. That they were seen. That someone paid attention.

That’s the kind of giving I believe in. It’s the kind of care I put into every piece.

A little hug in a box. Something small that holds feeling. Something soft, but strong enough to stay.

🌸 www.shopsugarandpaper.com

Decorating with Meaning: How Handmade Holiday Pieces Change the Atmosphere

Forget perfect. Decorate with feeling. Tell your story.

I sometimes feel holiday decorating has a way of becoming... automatic. We pull out the same old boxes, fill the shelves, match the colours. Maybe we add a few trendy touches from a shop window… or many (!). The result? It looks good, of course. It’s all very pretty. But sometimes it feels just a bit empty. “Perfect” maybe, but not personal. Matching, but meaningless.

🎄 The Pieces That Matter Most

My mother-in-law has a Santa decoration she brings out every year. It’s made from a sick bag.

Seriously — a white paper bag, turned into Santa with scraps and scribbles and a child’s full-hearted effort. You can see the Santa sick bag at the bottom of this post.

No store sells it, but nothing on the shelf comes close. Every year, she places it right in the centre of the mantel. Like a treasure.

To her, it’s everything.

It doesn’t match anything. It’s crumpled. It’s weird. But it carries something no department store ornament ever could: a memory, a story, a whole feeling. That’s what I think a lot of holiday décor is missing — sparkle and style, sure, but not much soul.

✋ Why Handmade Changes the Atmosphere

There’s something different about a handmade piece. It feels warm. Intentional. Full of presence.

It draws people in — not just because it looks beautiful, but because it feels like something. The brushstrokes, the imperfect lines, the textures — they carry the story of the hands that made them.

And somehow, that shifts the entire energy of a room. It softens it. Grounds it. Makes it feel more human. Handmade things don’t just decorate a space — they hold space.

And maybe that’s what handmade things really do — remind us to feel instead of rush.

🏠 Each Piece is Its Own Little World

That’s the kind of feeling I hope lives in each piece I make — quiet, imperfect, but full of soul. Tiny pastel houses, with hand-painted windows and little crooked chimneys — each with its own colour story, charm, and quiet little mood.

They’re not perfect. They’re not mass-produced. And that’s the point.

They’re made to feel real — like something that belongs in the kind of holiday you actually want to live in. You don’t just put them out. You bring them back. You remember them. You pack them away carefully. You tell stories around them. They become part of your tradition.

Guests will sometimes ask about them — because they feel different.

✨ Decorating with Intention

When we fill our homes with objects that matter — things with memory, or meaning, or just a beautiful kind of imperfection — people feel it. Even if they can’t say why.

So instead of trying to get the “look” right, maybe the better question is: What do I want this room to feel like? Should it feel warm? Inviting? Magical? Should it tell a story?

Decorating with meaning isn’t about buying more — it’s about choosing better. Choosing what gives something back, whether that’s laughter, nostalgia, or just a sense of calm.

🎁 Giving with Soul

The same goes for gifting. When you give someone a handmade piece — even the smallest one — it says: “I thought of you. I felt you in this.”

That’s the kind of gift that doesn’t get lost in a pile. It gets remembered. Because it gives something deeper than surprise — it gives connection.

🧠 The Real Takeaway

The things we remember most rarely match the catalogue. They’re mismatched, a little strange — maybe even made from a sick bag.

But they stick with us. And they shape the way we feel in a space, and the way we show love in it.

A handmade piece doesn’t just decorate your holiday — it becomes part of its story.

🌸 www.shopsugarandpaper.com

What Your Favourite Shade of Pink Might Say About You

A personal take on colour, personality, and how pink found its power back

A few Christmases ago, I asked my husband for a pink dressing gown. How hard can it be, right? Easiest job in the world!

Well, turns out it wasn’t…

It was big, fluffy, and very, very pink. But the second I opened it, I knew: this wasn’t my kind of pink. It was the kind of shade I can’t stand. If pink could yell, this one was screaming. Definitely not what I was looking for. I tried to like it. I really did. But I couldn’t even pretend.

My husband, bless him, looked genuinely confused and said,

“It’s a pink dressing gown! Isn’t that what you wanted?”

And that moment stuck with me. Because I realised something obvious but rarely said out loud:

Just because it was pink didn’t mean it was me.

Not everyone who loves pink loves the same pink.

Pink isn’t just one thing. It’s a spectrum. A moodboard. A mirror.
Some pinks are soft and soothing. Some are bold and bright. Some carry nostalgia, others feel electric.

The one you’re drawn to? I really believe it says something.
Not just about your taste — but your pace, your energy, your way of feeling the world.

There’s a chart at the bottom of this post where you can actually choose your pink — the one that feels most like you.
Not every pink made it in (I know), but these are the ones I see come up the most — in moods, in stories, in moments that matter.

Here’s what I’ve learned about the pinks people reach for:

💗 Blush Pink

You’re the calm in the chaos. You create spaces that feel like exhaling. You gravitate toward warmth, comfort, and emotional texture — things that feel real but never overwhelming.

Your world probably smells like vanilla and sounds like morning light. In design, blush is your grounding pink: gentle but never dull. It’s the quiet confidence of knowing who you are.

💥 Hot Pink

You’ve got spark — and you're not hiding it. You feel things fully, express them boldly, and don’t apologise for loving what you love. You believe fun is serious business.

Hot pink shows up in your life through bold choices: vivid details, candy-bright accents, pops of joy. You’re not trying to blend in — you’re here to create your own rhythm.

🌸 Dusty Rose

You’re nostalgic — but in a grounded, intentional way. You’re drawn to things with stories: vintage books, sun-warmed linen, notes written in real handwriting.

Dusty rose feels like memory, time, and tenderness all wrapped up. It’s the pink of old photographs, quiet mornings, and beauty that lingers.

🧠 Muted or Millennial Pink

You live at the intersection of soft and modern. You like balance — edge with warmth, minimalism with mood. Your taste is curated but not cold. You feel deeply, even if you keep it wrapped in velvet.

This pink is the one you see in matte ceramics, soft sweaters, curated shelves. You understand the power of gentle design.

🍑 Peachy Pink

You’re sunshine in human form. Warm, generous, always finding the bright side — even when the skies are grey. You bring ease to the room just by being in it.

Peachy pink is soft with a hint of cheer. It’s the colour of long brunches, kind smiles, and the kind of joy that doesn’t need to shout. You make things feel better, lighter, more human.

🧡 Coral Pink

You’ve got zest. You chase ideas, jump in with both feet, and make bold feel effortless. You’re magnetic — full of momentum and creative spark.

Coral pink lives somewhere between play and passion. It’s the punch of colour in a sea of beige. You don’t sit still — you stir things up. And you make it look good.

🍬 Bubblegum Pink

You’re fun, full stop. Whimsical, nostalgic, a little cheeky — you don’t take yourself too seriously, and that’s your superpower. You make space for lightness.

Bubblegum pink is roller skates, confetti, and a sugar rush of joy. It’s for people who still believe in magic — and aren’t afraid to wear it on their sleeve.

🎀 Salmon Pink

You’re a little unexpected — in the best way. Earthy, creative, and quietly rebellious. You don’t follow trends. You follow instinct.

Salmon pink is the wild card of the spectrum: grounded but never boring. It’s warm, worn-in, and full of character — like your favourite vintage find that somehow goes with everything.

🌷 Petal Pink

You’re soft, but never simple. Gentle, hopeful, deeply in tune — you move through the world with care.

Petal pink is morning dew, fresh notebooks, and the feeling of starting over. It’s a quiet kind of courage — the colour of growth before it blooms.

🧬 The Psychology of Pink

Pink doesn’t just look soft — it feels soft.
It’s been shown to calm the nervous system, lower aggression, even slow your sense of time. Some shades soothe, others energize, but all of them invite one thing: presence.

That’s what pulled me toward pink in my own work — not just the look, but the intention.
You’ll find blush walls, dusty-rose rooftops, glittery hot pink trim — every shade with its own personality.

They’re made for people who don’t just like pink — they see themselves in it.
People who know that softness can be powerful, and sweetness can be intentional.

If that’s you, welcome. You’re not just choosing a colour, you’re building a world that reflects you back💗

🌸 www.shopsugarandpaper.com