Why should you buy handmade products? As a creator and consumer of them, I am always pushing people to shop local and buy handmade. But why should you do it? Today, I’m answering your questions in my blog post by giving you 5 reasons.
1. Buying Handmade Means Shopping Local
Well, usually... Generally speaking, artisans and crafters typically sell at local craft fairs and farmers markets. So, the only way to get handmade goods was to go there. With the creation of Etsy and e-commerce, handmade products can be bought from all over the world. However, most artisans and crafters, like myself, will still sell local markets, so my point still stands.
I would go into more details regarding the positives of shopping local, but I already did that in another blog post. If you're interested, give that a read!
2. Supporting Artists & Crafters
Any time you make a purchase from artists and crafters, your money goes towards our dreams and passions. Your support allows us to be financially independent. Any money that doesn't go towards the shop goes to ourselves and our families.
Did you know that 37% of all self-employed people in Canada are females? That includes a lot of us artisans and crafters. By buying handmade, you are supporting many female entrepreneurs.
3. Ethical
Since the product is made by hand and in Canada, it is not made in a sweatshop. This ensures that you aren't supporting unethical companies who take advantage of weak labour laws overseas.
4. More meaningful Purchases/Gifts
Handmade products mean it is made by hand and not by machine. Every piece is put together with care and thought. We labour over every part to ensure the final product is something we are proud of. Handmade goods may be more expensive, but you are paying for hours of hard work and ethically sourced materials.
5. Every Piece is Unique
Since it is handmade and we're not robots, each replica of the original piece will be similar but never exact. For example, my Galaxy Away bookmarks (pictured below) are all unique because I handpainted the galaxy background and hand stamped the stars.
When you give someone a handmade product, the recipient immediately feels more special because they can tell how much effort has gone into making that item.
After reading through these 5 reasons, have I persuaded you? I know not all items can be bought handmade, but every single attempt is helpful! Let me know your thoughts on buying handmade in the comment section below!
Love all of these points! There’s nothing like a unique handcrafted gift – it just makes you feel so good inside :)
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