Ever since the birth of my second child, I've started making more handmade and buying more handmade too. I used to be a bargain hunter, shopping all the big box stores to find the cheapest prices. I'd buy things just because they were inexpensive. Over time, though, I realized that I was filling my home with lots of things I didn't need. More important, though, I started to wonder at what cost I had bought these things. What was the cost to workers somewhere in the world who had to produce these items so cheaply? What was the cost to our environment of transporting these goods across oceans and continents? What was the cost to our economy since very little is produced in the U.S. anymore?
Don't get me wrong. I still love a bargain. But I value the time and effort it takes to make something. I like making purchases that enable a person to do work they enjoy and that fulfills them. I like to make purchases that help support that person and her or his family.
These are some of the reasons I buy handmade. However, a big inspiration to me are the women in my family. To read more about why I make and buy handmade, read my entry here at www.inspirehandmade.org:
Making Connections Between Generations. If you find it inspirational, click on the little star at the bottom of the entry. If you feel inspired, write your own entry too.
Don't forget to sign
the pledge to buy handmade.
