"Nobody Wants The Stuff I Make"

“Nobody wants the stuff I make.”

I hear this statement over and over again.
Often said quietly. Sometimes with a laugh that hides disappointment. Almost always followed by,
“So I just keep it in my cupboard.”

But here’s the truth — and I want you to really hear this:

It’s not that nobody wants what you make.
It’s that you haven’t yet found the people who do.

And Christmas has a way of bringing this feeling right to the surface.

You spend hours — days — weeks — creating something beautiful. You pour skill, care, and love into every stitch, brushstroke, seam, or detail. Then December arrives, and suddenly there’s pressure to gift that work.

So you do.

You give it to friends.
To family.
To people you love and hope will understand.

And sometimes… they don’t.

They smile politely.
They say, “Oh, that’s lovely,” but it gets tucked into a drawer.
Or re-gifted.
Or quietly forgotten once the decorations come down.

And in that moment, a familiar story creeps in:

Maybe my work isn’t good enough.
Maybe people don’t value handmade anymore.
Maybe I should stop trying.

But here’s the honest — and freeing — truth:

Your friends and family are not your market.

They love you.
They may not love handmade.
They may not need another handcrafted item, no matter how beautiful it is.
They may shop for speed, convenience, or big brands — especially at Christmas.

That doesn’t diminish your talent.
And it doesn’t lessen the value of what you make.

It simply means they are not the right audience.

Somewhere out there is a Christmas shopper who is tired of giving generic gifts.
Someone who wants meaning, not mass-produced.
Someone who is actively looking for a gift that feels thoughtful, personal, and made with care.

That person wants something with a story.
They want to give a gift that feels different.
They want your work.

But they can’t find it if it stays hidden in a cupboard — or only shared with people who don’t truly see it.

Christmas is emotional for makers.
It highlights the gap between effort and recognition.
Between the love poured in and the value reflected back.

Yet it’s also the season when handmade matters most.

Handmade is remembered.
Handmade is kept.
Handmade becomes part of someone’s story.

And it deserves to be placed into the hands of people who understand that.

So this Christmas, instead of shrinking your work down…
Instead of apologising for it…
Instead of deciding it’s “just for me”…

Choose to share it with those who are already looking for it.

Put it out there.
Tell its story.
Let it be seen.

Because the right people aren’t judging your work —
they’re searching for it.

This Christmas, don’t hide what you’ve made.
Let it find the people who will treasure it.