Hey folks, it’s a month out from my birthday (June 18th is the day!) and while I typically appreciate the gifts people buy for me, this year I want to make a request, and it goes like this:

1. Make me something!

Yeah, you (together with your own two hands) should make me something. Chance are you’re creative in some way. Maybe you can knit, or draw, or paint, or write a poem or a short story, or compose a song, or take an amazing photo, or maybe you are good with tools, can work with wood, can weld, or cut paper and glue it together, or maybe you make things in the kitchen, like lovely cakes or pizza pies.

If you need some inspiration, check out some of the stuff they highlight on Make, or check out the Flickr photos in the Make or Craft pool. If you really don’t think you can make something yourself, Etsy has things that other people make.

2. Give me money.

Yeah, those are the choices. Either you make me something, or just give me money. (Any amount is fine.) Seriously. Don’t go to the store and buy some mass-produced consumer good. Just make me something, or give me money. How simple is that?

Note #1: In the event you give me money instead of making me something, the money will be used to procure things like food or gasoline.

Note #2: In the event that I get awesome handmade gifts from people, I’ll blog about them, as long as people give me permission to do so.