For Kids
Let’s start with ending the comparison of handmade to what the big corporations make – because it really is apples and oranges. I don’t make soap the same way a big company does. I don’t buy my ingredients the same way, and I don’t use the same types of ingredients. There’s no comparison between a mass produced preservative filled Twinkie and a locally baked cupcake by a pastry chef. The two are completely different, right down to the packaging.
Many people worldwide are trapped in jobs with little pay which holds them down, and their local economies with them. I’ll give you an example: I don’t use palm oil in my soaps because the overharvesting of this resource has decimated natural habitat and once the palm forests have been cut down, there is no more work for the local people.
So, when you’re in the dollar store and you’re tempted to buy that $1 candle, keep in mind the practices you’re allowing to continue. Cheap materials and labor means someone’s getting a raw deal. Isn’t a hand poured candle using recycled glass from a local artist worth a few bucks? And the artist’s candle likely isn’t going to be toxic.
In fact, big business calls this planned obsolescence – they purposely create a product that will break down so that you have to purchase a new one. That means more crap in the landfills, more crap in our homes, and more crap we have to spend more money on. This is a horrible way to live!
This is where handmade shines bright! There’s no need to upgrade or replace a thing since it was created to last and to have value over time. Each object is a unique, one of a kind treasure, and you’re the only one who has it! (I know, soap is a consumable product and you’ll have to buy more. That’s OK. I’ll make more)
Handmade also lets you control waste. Goods manufactured overseas have a ton of plastic and cardboard packaging to protect it on it’s way to the consumer. Have you ever noticed how much you have to throw away or try to recycle?
Buying handmade supports local people
Buying handmade supports local crafts people and industries, wherever you buy it. The money you spend stays in the local area (instead of overseas) where it is reinvested in the community. Your purchases keep people in business, taxes are paid, money is made, and the impact of thousands of these micro business artisans is HUGE for the economy.
Handmade is a celebration of artists’ imagination and skills coming together with people in our communities to make all our lives better. We are all individuals and using handmade items lets us live that way. No handcrafted item has a one-size-fits-all mentality. Go to an art fair or market and the artists are overjoyed to help you find just the right thing for you. Everything a craftsperson makes is all about the people and the story behind the creative process. It’s about the thought, time, imagination, and effort we put into every little piece.
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