Today I took my lil man for a haircut and whilst we were waiting we stopped in at Target and Myer for a quick browse of the toy section. What we found, isle after isle of plastic.. what I call landfill. Seriously, take a visit to your local trash and treasure and all those toys and plastic stuff that lines the department store shelves as today’s “must haves” will be tomorrow’s trash.
I love the idea of this website “Buy Handmade”. A pledge to buy handmade for ones self, ones loved ones, and request that others do the same for you. It means that the items you buy are one-of-a-kind, that you support the artisan or craftier that made the item. Its better for people and the environment. It is usually more expensive than the local department store, but along with this comes the above mentioned and also a quality and attention to detail that can’t be achieved by mass production. A couple of blogs by Etsy artists I follow have also addressed this topic, have a look for their take on it, White Plum and Angelenefay Jewellery.
There are fabulous sites on the net now supporting handmade artists where they bring this marketplace to us. Etsy, is one, it is American based but now has sellers and buyers worldwide, for Australian sellers on Etsy see this site, DUST team. There is a web site for 100% Australian Handmade, called Made it. Also a new one to come out of Sydney is Zibbet. Or a google search for a particular item will bring up a heap more links. Right here in Brisbane we have a monthly market dedicated to the handmade, the Boutique Markets at Portside Wharf, Hamilton.
I think there is just as much fun in making or creating something yourself It can be as simple as a card for a friend or for decorating, and furnishing your home. Try visiting Ebay, Op shops or Trash and Treasures for beautiful one off pieces to complement your style and home as is, or give it new life with a bit of DIY. I have recently been doing a revamp on an old rocking chair which my dad gave me from his “shed” when I had my first bub. I will show you once its finished. Its been fun!
So buy handmade- try it!
xx Sanch
Sanchia, I just love your Website. It’s all so very creative and great.
A great read and so very very true all your articles. I think that the feeling you get when you have completed a project yourself and it looks good is a reward in its’self. It gives you confidence to get out there and keep experimenting on other things as well. I am not a perfectionist in my creations, but they look OK when they are finished and I am happy. I often tell my old lady friend who was in the QCWA, that she is not to look that closely at my sewing as it doesn’t always look as good as it should. I am a person who expects perfection of myself and don’t know how I could acheive anything if I didn’t accept what I did as pretty good.
Anyway keep up the good work.
Love
Judy. P.s. hope to catch up with you after camp sometime!!!