8 Reasons to buy Handcrafted Gifts like Bags & Purses
Handcrafted products always have a special story. They carry the emotions, efforts and the earnest small "optimisations" of the craftsman. That's what makes handcrafted beautiful.
All our products are handcrafted with love. Every product stands for style and function, but carries an essence of India. They symbolise the rich Indian culture and traditional craft.
Everyone loves handcrafted products but very few end up buying them. The most common reasons are people hedge for "machine finish". Yet, what's a gift without a story. After all, it is one of the most human thing we do. This includes gifting ourselves, which is a big form of gifting.
We have listed 8 reasons why you should pick a handcrafted gift next time.
8 reasons why you must buy Handcrafted Gifts
- Each handcrafted product is unique
No two handmade products are exactly the same. All handcrafted products are handmade and not mass-produced. Thus, you will find a slight difference in every product and that makes each product unique. There’s always a slight difference in colour, texture, design of two handmade products.
If you plan to gift something to your loved one or to yourself, pick a handcrafted gift. You are purchasing a product that nobody owns in the whole world. That makes it pretty special. Give our sling handmade purse a shot.
- Handcrafted product supports the local economy
When you buy handcrafted bags from us, you are actually supporting the local economy. The money you spend is directly supporting Indian artists and the economy. As handcrafted products are made by hand, it creates jobs for many more people.
Apart from economy support, your purchase gives confidence to the artisans. It motivates them to develop new skills and re-invest into their small business so that they can keep making beautiful products.
At Zouk, we source beautiful handcrafted fabric from many small vendors across India. Every time we go back to them, they are glad that their Ikat, Jute Khadi fabric is reaching more homes. We take this fabric and make handcrafted leather bags, made of vegan leather.
- Handcrafted products are durable and of great quality
Everyone wants products to last longer. Handcrafted products are ready when an expert calls it ready. It is not machine declared ready. It takes much longer to make than those made on machines but it lasts for longer.
At Zouk, we go through a two part quality check process, once at the artisan's side and once again at our packaging side.
Handcrafted products also look real rather than formulated. They just seem more genuine. It's like how handmade coffee tastes better than a machine-made coffee.
- Handcrafted products are made by real people, not by machines
Handcrafted products have emotions. There is intricacy, that shows the fruit of the efforts the artisan puts into the product. They have warmth, coming from the love the artisan has put into the product. It is like the artisans have left a part of themselves in each item they make.
That perfect fold and the perfect stitch is a result of the artisan pushing a little extra to make handcrafted bags special. They put their heart into making a beautiful bag. They then push themselves to better it when they make the next one.
The process is also intricate. A bag has so many pieces, that when they are being made, they don't look anything like a bag. But when it comes together, magic happens.
Our artisans also think about people’s wants and needs and make products according to that. There is true value when we say that only a human understands a human.
- Each handcrafted product has its own story
Our artisans put a lot of time into creating a product that is beautiful, unique, and up to the trend. They go through a lot of brainstorming before creating the actual product. They patiently give shape to the product and then work even more to recreate the product over and over. Also, each handcrafted product has something different, thus being unique. Each product goes through a journey, before becoming a final product. Some options are dropped while other functionalities get picked. A case-in-point is our handcrafted laptop bags, that have gone through many iterations in the past three years.
- Buying handcrafted products keep crafts skills and tradition alive
In today’s virtual world, there’s something appealing about the products which are made by hand. When you purchase from a local brand, you are actually supporting local artisans and the crafts they practise. You are also helping artisans pass their skills to the next generation and keep the art and craft alive.
- Handcrafted products show that you care
Gifting your loved is a special moment. You want to gift something that reminds them of that moment. Many people mix special with expensive. However, price is only one of many things that makes a gift special. For example, if you buy a birthday cake for your friend, they will be happy but if you bake the cake yourself, it is special.
Similarly, a handcrafted gift just stands out and makes that bag as a gift special. Buying handcrafted and personalised gifts, shows that you care. It shows that you took effort to find something different and out of the ordinary. For example, check out the handmade leather purses, made using vegan leather.
- Handcrafted products are environment friendly
Handcrafted products are generally made by small businesses. It does not need a factory or large production unit. They come from small studios and workshops, driven by the heart and soul of the artisans. Electricity guzzlers like large machines are replaced with love, sweat and human effort. This a a more sustainable method and generates less pollution.
Note - In our homepage, we have an image of Gandhiji's Charkha. That for us signifies Handcrafted in the best sense. Image credit - Charkha by Trevor Dsouza from the Noun Project
