Home > Blog > Columns > Bette Miles-Holleman > Take the Handmade Pledge

When I worked in retail management, I sold the same run-of-the-mill, boring gifts that all the other stores in the mall had. No thought or imagination, just something that could be bought, wrapped and returned the day after Christmas. What a waste!

As a crafter, I learned early on that the gifts people remember and cherish are the ones that are thoughtful, useful, special and handmade. The internet has created a new avenue of opportunity for artisan crafting, because it is so simple to market and sell online. People from all over the world can shop and buy 24/7, making it easy and fun to be an online entrepreneur. A couple of years ago, I decided to take The Handmade Pledge to buy handmade items or make gifts to give rather than supporting corporate consumerism.

I asked one of my favorite online artisans and fellow Lensmaster Sheryl Westleigh (aka Noadi), to share her thoughts on buying handmade goods vs. McGifts and the positive effect the internet has had on cottage industry. You can buy her hand sculpted fantasy jewelry on Etsy.

“There are many benefits to buying handmade over large scale commercial items. I specify large scale because I think small manufacturers…also produce products with many of the same benefits. [Handmade goods] are produced with care and passion and are different from anything you’ll find in the mall. They are often more environmentally friendly, support small business, and your conscience can be clear knowing that [your purchase] wasn’t produced in a sweatshop.”

Sheryl credits the internet with the renaissance of cottage industry. “Cottage industry never went away, but for a while it was difficult or impossible to make a living at it. The internet has changed that. Look at the success of Etsy and other online venues, craft shows, and farmer’s markets in recent years. It started even before handmade centered sites like Etsy were around. There were many artists and artisans who jumped on eBay in its early years…”

Sheryl also a supports other artisans during the Holidays. “About 60% of gifts I buy for Christmas are handmade. Hands down, the place to go is Etsy. It’s the largest and most well established site for handmade goods. A couple others are Artfire and in Europe Dawanda has a large community of sellers as well.”