Could craft save the world economy? For several years now the handmade trend has been expanding, driven by a combination of factors including a revival of retro, a rejection of mass made, the need for thrift, sustainability and, perhaps more importantly, the need for opportunity. From small, and increasingly hip street markets to online stores like Etsy.com, artisans around the world have stopped waiting to be discovered and are taking matters into their own hands, and using the internet to “make a living doing what you love”, as the British/Irish site, e hive, puts it.
You can support the trend and all those wonderful designers by buying direct and shopping online for Christmas.
Here are some of the more inspirational sites to get us started. If you could add one site to the list, which would it be? Leave your comment below. Note that Part 2 will feature sites from other parts of the world.
USA
www.Etsy.com
www.1000markets.com
www.trunkt.org (curated content)
www.artfire.com
indiefixxgalleria.com
Australia
www.madeit.com.au
www.georgielove.com
www.leeloo.com.au
UK
www.coriandr.com
www.folksy.com
New Zealand
