and not jut for the holidays.
Last year Poppytalk asked artists, designers and shop owners to give them reasons why people should buy handmade whenever possible. Their responses became the 101 reasons to buy handmade.
You can take a look at all of the responses, but here are my favorites:
Buying from craftspeople is a conscious decision. people need to be more conscious of spending of where their hard-earned money is going, changing hands etc. this contributes to the bigger picture.
Love. You
give gifts with love. When you buy handmade you can be sure that your gift is
also made with love. You can think of love as a fairy dust that has been
sprinkled over your gift throughout the making and gift giving process. And
that fairy dust will make your loved one feel so much better than formaldehyde
residue.
I love
knowing I'm supporting someone's passion.
It harkens
back to the days of old when craftsmanship, creativity and quality were
paramount - You are buying items not mass-produced and impersonal but are very
personal not only to the buyer, but to the maker.
You don't
have to say that you bought it at Ikea.
Because
normally, buying handmade does not require fighting for a parking space, having
your ears pierced by blaring holiday music, walking around in a daze under
flourescent lights, fighting to push a shopping cart with one bad wheel, or
having a cashier you don't know ask for your phone number and zip code.
ITS THE
Sincerity.
People don’t hand craft things just to make money. They’re not just the product
of a slick R&D department for profit. They make things that involve years
of learned skills, passion, enthusiasm, commitment and sincerity.
Buying
handmade shows our children that not everything in this world needs to be mass
produced. It teaches them to love and appreciate the unique and the imperfect.
And it inspires them to do their own creating as well.
It's just
simply delightful.
