Again this year, I have taken the Handmade Pledge, and I encourage each of you to do so as well. Why?

•  Handmade goods are (usually) unique. There aren’t 100 of them on the shelf at each of 200 stores around the nation.
•  Handmade goods are (usually) really high quality.
•  Most makers of handmade goods do so in their homes, as a way to help support their families. Many are work at home moms who want to contribute to the family income while also raising their children themselves.
•  Handmade goods are (usually) safer than their mass-produced counterparts. (Consider who’s been busted for lead paint in toys… the small mom-and-pop makers of toys? Nope. Mattell and the like.)

And from the Handmade Pledge website:

The ascendancy of chain store culture and global manufacturing has left people all dressing, furnishing, and decorating alike. The connection between producer and consumer has been lost. Buying handmade helps them reconnect. We created the pledge as a call to action for consumers to be conscious of how they spend their money this holiday season. We want people, whenever possible, to support independent creators and shop outside the big boxes.