Do you get a thrill from going to craft fairs? Walking from stall to stall, discovering quirky objects and one-of-a-kind finds. Meeting and chatting with the crafters who created them, sometimes even developing a relationship with them and asking for something really special that would combine the cut of a particular dress with the fabric of another, and could they embroider a panda on it too?

MY DEAR THING

Now imagine stretching that experience across the world, and multiplying it 365 days a year! This is Etsy: an online marketplace and community for all things handmade. Of course there’s the expected clay pots and home baked goods, but our favorite thing about Etsy, is of course, the excitement of discovering budding designers with a fresh approach to fashion.

RUFFEO HEARTS LIL SNOTTY

Buying handmade in itself is generally more ethical than getting something mass produced, but many Etsy crafters are particularly green minded (and thrifty) and use upcycled materials as their choice resource for their fashion creations.

The only problem we see with Etsy, is its high addictive potential, with many different ways to search through the immense offer, you can easily browse from one store to the next and loose all sense of time! We’ve listed some stores to get you started at the bottom of this article, but they are just a tiny sample of the amazing creations you can find on the website. Besides a classic search by item, some fun ways to search are to use the “by location” tool and find out who’s crafting what around the corner from you, and the “favorites” view, which lets you discover your favorite crafter’s favorites and usually leads to great discoveries.

PEEKO APPAREL

If you’re coming to the website not only as a shopper but also as a crafter, you’ll find many tools, forums and articles to inspire and motivate you. If you’re lucky enough to live in NYC, you could also take advantage of Etsy’s first offline venture Etsy Labs, located in Brooklyn, where crafters come together in an open space loft to share, teach and learn new skills.

A final touch worth mentioning is the Custom (or Alchemy) feature, if you ideas are better than your manual skills, you can wax poetic about your dream item, set your ideal price, and crafters will bid to create it for you! So if you don’t win that Halloween costume contest this year and surprise your whole family with unique and personalized gifts for Christmas, you no longer have any excuses…

Here are a few great shops to get started. But tell us, which are your favorites?

Pretty Birdie
Vart  
Vilte
Peeko apparel
Thrills!
Bewakeful
Gina Michelle
Ruffeo Hearts lil Snotty
Norwegian Wood
My Dear Thing

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