The "Buy Handmade" Pledge

I absolutely love the idea of making and buying handmade gifts for people. Handmade items form this connection between creator and user. I love buying handmade things for a number of reasons:

1. I love getting things other than bills in the mail.
2. I like seeing how sellers package their items.
3. I like holding a handmade object in my hand and looking it over, imagining all of the work.
4. I love the idea of supporting fair wages for artisans, and what better way than knowing you are paying the price the artisan themselves has decided their work is worth?
5. I like unique things.

So this year, Etsy started the "Buy Handmade" Pledge. It says you will buy handmade goods as gifts and would appreciate it if others did the same for you.

So I was lucky enough this year to work my first craft fair. I made tons of things in anticipation and sewed and knit until my arms felt like they would fall off. The fair was Artists & Fleas in Williamsburg. I attended on Nov. 18th. The crowd was much more of a looking crowd than a buying crowd, so I have TONS of things to list on my Etsy Shop.

Since I have so many things to list and am currently ahead of the game, I am going to take my new-found spare time and make things as gifts for family members.

So far, I am:

1. knitting a tie for my dad.
2. knitting convertible mittens for my mom.
3. making a little bird pouch for my bird-watching Aunt Gailey.
4. making a scrabble bracelet for my Aunt Sally.
5. knitting an apple hat for my cousin's baby.
6. baking 12 tins worth of white chocolate cranberry cookies for my extended family.

My brother is not getting anything handmade by me this year. I was thinking of knitting him a pair of convertible mittens, but I'm terrified he will lose them and I will be heartbroken. I think I will purchase something handmade for him instead.

My handmade purchases will include:

1. Vegan soaps from DistilledRose for my parents.
2. Either a t-shirt or hoodie from 1Aeon for my brother.
3. something from Lollibomb for my Aunt Millie. She definitely deserves to be pampered.