A great way to ensure that the products you buy are made under ethical conditions is to buy them handmade, direct from the maker. Of course, this gives them extra uniqueness and cool points too, so handmade items make especially good gifts.
With this in mind, Pledge Handmade is asking people to promise they'll only buy handmade pressies for friends this Christmas, requesting that others do the same in return. If this sounds like a great idea for you but you wouldn't have a clue about where to find fab handmade stuff, we've joined forces with Crafty Crafty and come up with a list of places to find the best handmade gifts this Christmas. Enjoy!
Maki Squarepatch
This is one of my favourite handmade sites, with its adorable recycled (or "pre-loved") accessories, every one of which is unique. They've been in touch today with news of a new Christmas range, which includes recycled tree decorations and these very smart submarine pouches, which at $12 are a bargain, and are hand-printed and made out of excess fabric from other craft projects.
Miso Funky
Miso Funky is a bit of an institution for crafty goodies in the UK. You can either go along to their markets in Glasgow, or visit their online shop.
Etsy
If you haven't heard of Etsy before now, go and hang your head in shame. Then check out the site for just about every sort of handmade products you can imagine, and more. It's the variety of the site that makes Etsy so useful when it's gifts you're after, as unlike many craft sites not everything here is cute and girly: there's stuff here for all the family - from DS lite pouches to stylish and unusual necktie designs like this Banksy tribute.
