Pledge to Buy Handmade

Christmas 2009

For many years, our family has had a tradition of making our own gifts for Christmas.  Candles, pajamas, scrapbooks, art, assorted crafts etc.  But I don't make junk or useless things - it has to have a purpose for the person I'm making it for.

Okay, so maybe I take that a little more to heart than most of the others in my family.  In fact, I almost made myself sick with worry, stress, anxiety and you name it trying to make EVERYTHING for EVERYONE last year.  Ick - won't do that again, but I'll still make at least one thing.  After all....got a few things going on this year! 

This morning, I was adding some brand new items to our store website.  Those gorgeous Stick Ponies by Turtle Monkey Bug, the fabulous and sustainable art supplies by Eco-Kids and the natural (and CANADIAN!) Little Humbug dolls and books.   I'm so excited to be including these in the store, I can't quite express with words.  But what really attracted me to these companies was that their products are handmade!  Yes.... every pot of eco-paint, every eco-crayon and every treeless paper pad is hand made in Maine by Eco-Kids.  Every art book, every moustache, every stick pony and every doll are hand made by Turtle Monkey Bug.   Kindred spirits, right?!  (Sure...Little Humbugs has grown too big now and does use mass production techniques as well, but started hand made)

Of course, I had to visit each of their websites to borrow images and while I was on the Turtle Monkey Bug site, I remembered they were members of the Handmade Toy Alliance and that brought up my usual curiosity.   The name suggests a really cool community of makers of handmade toys and, well, that's exactly what they are!

In addition to providing a community for small businesses who specialize in small batch productions of handmade items, primarily in the US, they are also an organization championing the needs of those businesses to thrive in this struggling economy.   After browsing their site, their core mandate seems to be revolutionizing the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act...better known as the CPSIA.  I read a bit about their initiatives, and thought:  "cool".  But really, no impact on me in Canada, except that they may help provide some leadership to other countries in this area.

But what I really liked was their Pledge to Buy Handmade this holiday season.  You already know Dopey Kid specializes in socially and ecologically responsible items that will support inspiring children's imaginations and we include a number of handmade and artisan items in our store.  The cool thing about this organization is they are providing support to a whole host of producing companies who are also trying to do the same thing!

The HMTA is encouraging us to pledge to at least TRY to support smaller shops and manufacturers this year.  Why?  Number one it supports our local economies - friends and neighbours; not faceless big box corporations.  Number two, you get better quality products (usually) when you buy from a "mom and pop" type specialty operation than when you buy the cheap junk at the local mass retailer.  (no, it's not ALL junk, but face it - a LOT of it is!).

The concept is simple:  Pledge to make the effort to buy handmade and reap the benefits.    We can't afford to spend as much these days - make your dollars that you worked so hard to earn count!  Quality means the money you spent goes farther because what you bought lasts longer - it's really a no-brainer!

From the HMTA pledge:

"If everyone made the pledge to buy just one hand crafted product for someone on their gift list this year, think of the thousands of businesses that will grow and nourish our communities. It may mean reframing how we go about our purchases, taking a little more time to choose what we need, or want, going back to a simpler way of life.  But, it will be so worth it.....It will be the easiest choice you made yet!"

So, I took the pledge (of course!) and now I'm encouraging everyone else to do the same. Visit the Pledge Page by clicking this link:  I pledge to at least TRY to buy Handmade for Christmas this year.   

Just try! 

Until next time:  Inspire...imagine...invent!