Handmade vs. Homemade
Sorry for the delay in posts,but we have been busy in the shop and enjoying all the kayaking, biking and frolicking that summer has to offer. We are still trying to figure out how to get Karma in a kayak! We’ve got lots of new projects and things to discuss but first I wanted to address something that really had us all talking over the past few weeks.
Our friend Tara from Scoutie Girl sparked a debate here at Paisley Dog Press with her BLOG post and tweets on “Handmade” vs. “Homemade”. We each have our own feelings on this topic and it has been the source of many debates in the online crafting community. Here’s our two cents…
Janelle’s Two Cents: I consider “homemade” anything that you create as a hobby, not to be sold, in a field that you are a novice at, not a professional. For example: I love to knit. Some of my projects have mistakes, some of them are perfect, either way I would say that they are homemade. Meaning they are meant for “home” use and not to be sold. The term “handmade” to me means that it has been made by human hands, by a professional, and is something that you get paid to do.
Shane’s Two Cents: “Homemade” to me definitely has more of a hobbyist connotation. All I can think of when someone says “homemade” is homemade cookies. One- because I am a cookie fiend, two- because the term is most commonly associated with food items. If you’re doing your craft professionally, I would stay away from marketing your product as “homemade”, even if in fact it is. “Handmade” to me says that this product was made by hand, and presents more value (than a similar machine-made product) because I am assuming that extra care and attention to detail was used in its creation.
When pressed(get it) we refer to our items “handcrafted” rather than either of these terms. We want people to know our products are made by skilled “craftsmen and women” and touched by human hands.
The moral of the story is that we might all have a different definition for what we do, but either way we are creating one of a kind items that make life beautiful and that is what it’s all about.
What’s YOUR two cents: “handmade” vs. “homemade”, how do you describe your craft/business and why?
