Take The Handmade Pledge

The silly season is approaching fast and I can see your mind ticking over gift lists, wondering where to shop, what to get, how to wrap. Well, hang on just a minute dear reader!

Before you traipse your generous self and eco shopping bag down to the stores, make a cup of tea, find some paper and a pencil, have a little sit down, doodle a little, maybe nibble on some cake (I find it helps loosen the creative urge), let your mind wander and think about gifts you can make instead.

'What?' I hear you screech from down the cables of the internet highway.
'Me, little old me? Make something? From scratch? Moi? Non! Ce n'est pas possible!'

Well, my friend, protest as much as you like, but I don't believe a word of it. We can all make something. Let's think. Perhaps you can bake a cake, cook up something fruity, brew some beer, draw a pretty picture, sew and stuff a small toy, knit a bobble hat, crochet a long scarf, take a photograph or two and frame them, write a heartfelt poem on beautiful handmade paper, plant a seed in a pretty pot, carve something out of wood, make an interesting clay model, paint an abstract, colourful picture on canvas...

Perhaps there is something you used to make at school but have forgotten how? Well, look it up on the internet (that's what it's there for after all) and remind yourself how. Perhaps you've harboured dreams of being a photographer, well get out there and practice - see what you can come up with.

If you're unsure, there are heaps of places online and off-line that can offer advice and tips for everyone no matter how lacking in skills or creative inspiration you may think you are. And if you don't get it right the first time, persevere and you may even find yourself having fun along the way.

There is definitely at least one thing we can all make using our skills and resources that will make someone else smile when they receive and unwrap their gift. I guarantee it - only give it a go!

And if you really feel you can't come up with the goods, then find someone else to make it for you. Whatever you decide to do, take the pledge with us and buy handmade this year.

From: Buy Handmade
"Buying Handmade makes for better gift-giving.
The giver of a handmade gift has avoided the parking lots and long lines of the big chain stores in favor of something more meaningful. If the giver has purchased the gift, s/he feels the satisfaction of supporting an artist or crafter directly. The recipient of the handmade gift receives something that is one-of-a-kind, and made with care and attention that can be seen and touched. It is the result of skill and craftsmanship that is absent in the world of large-scale manufacturing."

Further Info:
Buy Handmade