Remember the good old days before Netflix? That was when you actually had to sit and talk to your family after dinner, in the living room – instead of staring at a phone screen and sharing memes about ‘how it was much better in the 1940s’…
Well, back in those days, more often than not, people turned more towards handicrafts, DIY, or making and repairing their own clothes as a form of entertainment and relaxation (when they weren’t Digging For Victory). So not only did they engage in conversation, but they also got a pixie hood out of it, too. OK, I may not be selling this very well, but…
The point is, we were more in tune with making do and mend. We learned crafts, and how to knit, bake, sew, and create. That art is sadly being lost. But, at the moment, there’s a popular shift towards people wanting artisan-created goods in their homes.
Furnishings, pieces of furniture, or household items that have been crafted from scratch, with quality materials and that look amazing. What’s not to love? It doesn’t matter whether it’s hand made lamps or crocheted cushion covers, having something created by artisans in your room really does turn your house into a home. Here are 5 reasons why handmade will always trump mass production.
Much more sustainable
Items that have been handmade are often more sustainable creations. Why? They’ll have next to no reliance on machinery to make them, the materials used will sometimes be recyclable and the end product should last for decades if not hundreds of years.
Pieces of handmade homeware, clothes, or furniture will become heirlooms to be treasured. Many of us know someone or have a family member who has an item in their home that has some kind of story behind it or an interesting tale to tell. This is your chance to create something similar for yourself, by buying into handmade rather than mass-produced.
Handmade work creates tailored jobs
Artisans creating products for the home are often very skilled workers who have trained and qualified, or who have learned on the job. They’re talented people who are making their own niche in an often identikit world, and we need more people like this in life.
Skills such as traditional joinery, carpentry, and handicrafts like knitting, sewing, and crochet are being lost and need to be developed and cherished.
You get an authentic product
Buy something handmade for your home and you’re getting something authentic, that’s been crafted with passion and that will have a story to tell. Not only that, you can create your own memories with it and hand it down through the generations too, so it can become a treasured heirloom.
Consider this, picking up one handmade piece immediately opens up a world of other choices to you. How? Well, when you buy an artisan-made product you’ll often find that they support other local businesses too – ones that create other handmade products that might be right up your street. Buy into this and you’re buying into a world of beautiful, sustainable opportunities to make a difference to your home, and the lives of the people that make them.
Your items are often one-of-a-kind
As well as being authentic, your items can also be one of a kind. Handmade products will always be slightly different in some way and no two items will be exactly the same – that goes for most things you might think about purchasing whether it’s a lamp shade, a made-to-order garment, or a piece of furniture. Each maker might put their mark on it, or introduce an element to each piece that sets it apart from everything else. You can’t put a price on that, or the joy it brings to the lucky person buying or receiving it.
Upcycle or find ways to repurpose products at the end of their life
If a treasured item really has come to the end of its life, but you simply can’t bear to part with it or sell it on, then often handmade goods can easily be repurposed or upcycled to give them a new lease of life and if you’re savvy, you can do this yourself. Whether it’s sanding down and repainting a piece of furniture or unwinding a knitted garment to reuse for something else, there are always ways to keep such handmade treasures in your life after they’ve reached the end of the road. It’s never goodbye with handmade – just au-revoir!
