11.13.08
Check out ETSY
I’d like to introduce you to (if you havent already discovered) one of my favorite websites, Etsy. Etsy is, as they put it, “your place to buy and sell all things homemade.” Pretty self explainatory, isnt it? Etsy has TONS of beautiful things to buy that people like you and me have lovingly created. You can find everything from handmade socks to hand crocheted bath and baby items to handmade jewelery to handmade pottery and even non handmade items like vintage fabrics, magazines, etc etc. Basically, Etsy is everything anti-corporate and anti-cookiecutter. Last year at Christmas I made the pledge to buy handmade, and I’m going to do the same this year.
While I wasn’t able to make everything at Christmas last year handmade, I made sure a portion of my gifts were. This year, I fully intend on making sure there are even more handmade gifts given from me at Christmas. Basically folks, this is what it boils down to… here in America we’ve become rabid consumerists. We always want the biggest and the best and the shiniest and the newest. Christmas time has become this forced holiday with little meaning anymore. It isnt even Thanksgiving and the stores are out with Christmas products, commercials on the television are already speaking about Christmas gifts and we’re already being bombarded with pressure to buy.
This year, instead of purchasing a meaningless gift from some random big box store- why not go to Etsy and purchase a handmade item that you know a loved one would truely enjoy? Instead of supporting greedy coorporate America, why not support the stay at home mom who knits sweaters in her spare time? Or the art student who is talented at making jewelry? Etsy even has a function where you can find Etsy sellers in your area- so not only can you support these incredible folks here who make beautiful objects- but you can support those who are local to you. You’ll be giving a gift that was crafted by someone who cares, not pressed out by some machine- or worse yet, made by little kids in some third world country.
In years past I’ve made friends knitted scarves and socks, and a variety of other things. There is just something more special about presenting a gift that you had to think about and create yourself than just going and buying something from any old big box store. So please, this year if you can- make some handmade gifts to give to your loved ones… and if you don’t feel you’re talented enough to do so- join Etsy and purchase a handmade gift from there. Support the Christmas spirit, which should be more about closeness and sharing with those we love than about the gross consumerism which has almost destroyed the Christmas magic.
And that’s all I have to say about that!