Handcrafts? Why??

So what's the big deal about handcrafts?

For thousands of years prior to the industrial revolution, when people wanted something that required the integration or manipulation of one or more materials or ingredients, someone had to physically and manually integrate those materials or ingredients to create the needed item. No factories, machinery or technology (as we know it today) existed. We know from ancient historical records that people have always used their hands and various materials to make, to build, to grow, to weave and carve and mold and fashion amazing and beautiful and useful clothes, furnishings, implements, tools, dwellings, forms of transport, and much more.

How did handcrafting originate?

From the beginning of time, crafting has been not only the fulfilment of a need, or a provision for survival, but also an expression of creativity. The earliest known detailed record of humankind - and the most reliable - informs us that “In the beginning, God created...” (Genesis 1:1 in the Bible which is the Word of God, also known as the Scriptures). The world around us, the reaches of the “heavens” (space and all that exists beyond what science has uncovered), the creatures that inhabit the earth, and humans, are the very first evidence and the beginning of creative expression. When God created (made, formed) humans, He created them “in His image” - and this included creating in us a desire to make, to form, to “create” with our hands, and thereby express our creativity. The ability to do handcrafts is a gift that God Himself has given us.

This can even be seen as far back as when the earth contained only two humans – Adam and Eve – they got started with handcrafts right then at the beginning. When they realised they were created naked, “they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons” (Genesis 3:7)!

God is the master artist, the master designer, and it is His handiwork and craftsmanship we see when we gaze at the heavens, admire the beauty He put into plants and animals, both big and small, or relish the sweetness of a newborn baby. But His handiwork doesn't end with His creation - when we believe in the Word of God and become His child through the blood of Jesus Christ, we are known as His “workmanship” (Ephesians 2:10). God shows us through His own example that working with one's hands is an integral part of life.

From the beginning of time, the knowledge and skills necessary for handcrafts were passed down from generation to generation. There were families who were tailors, smiths, gardeners, millers, carpenters, thatchers, fletchers, masons, shoemakers, bowmakers, fullers, weavers – and many others - for hundreds of years because of the skills they used in the handcrafts their family specialised in. These craftsman skills became occupations and provided opportunity for trade, which in time built economies within families, communities, and nations - which in turn lead to commercialisation. The more specialisation that happened, the more there was a need for trade as people focused on the one craft they were best at and started losing the skill, time and ability to provide everything for themselves and their families. They were then required to purchase the things they couldn't make for themselves.

Skills such as those needed for pottery require much time and practise.

When did mass production begin, and why?

And so began trade. In the 11th century the world saw the beginning of what has been termed the “commercial revolution”, which resulted in the formation of the European economy as it has been over the ensuing centuries. The more consumer demand increased, the more trade expanded, and eventually spread into the rest of the world, until we come to the 18th century when there was an explosion in literacy. As a result of education there were improvements in nutrition, better food supplies, lower mortality rates, improved agricultural practices and the birth of the technology we now enjoy the use of. This led to the industrial revolution... and slowly handcrafts began to become more unusual as mass production factories and manufacturing plants took over more and more. During the two world wars, many time-consuming crafts were put aside as those who were able were put to work in factories and commercial positions in the workforce, which actually restructured society and how people used their time and money – until we get to today. This mass production has driven down prices of items that previously had been far less expensive for people to craft with their own hands... To the detriment of handcrafts.

Today some handcrafts, some knowledge, some skills have entirely vanished or are on the cusp of disappearing.

Among some groups and types of people there has been a resurgence of interest in some of those old handcrafts as these specific people have realised what is being lost... But many people don't have the time or money for handcrafts – or they believe they don't have the skills or patience or creativity necessary to do handcrafts.

The most disappointing and sad result of industrialisation and the ensuing loss of handcrafting is that while handcrafts hold value that commercial and mass-produced products can never have, people can be very reluctant to purchase items crafters have poured themselves into and handcrafted. Handcrafters work as hard – sometimes harder – than people who work in the commercial environment, and yet as a general rule their work and time is not recognised as being as valuable or worth much at all.

What is the value of handcrafts – why bother with them?

Some people think handcrafted products ought to cost less than mass-produced products – and indeed it was that way in times past... But materials are no longer inexpensive and can be harder to obtain than in times gone by (especially at a price that can be passed on to buyers), and it's important to remember the sheer quantities of time required for handcrafting goods. Those who craft have the same kinds of bills to pay that everyone else has – they still need to pay the same price for food and clothing and other necessities. Is their time less valuable because they are working with their own hands in the privacy of their home or in craft groups? Isn't their work more valuable because of the incomparable dreaming, planning and labour they pour into each unique item?

Each handcrafted item has a story to tell. It represents character, dreams, rich traditions, creativity, talent, and skills. The challenge we face in our modern world is this - how much are we going to value not only the handcrafts themselves, but also the hands and dreams and skills and time the handcrafter has put into what they have fashioned? Believe it or not, many handcrafters agonise over the prices they place on their wares because of the disappointing response they receive from those who are unaware of just what is involved in their production.

So what's the big deal about handcrafts? The answer lies in how those handcrafts come to be, whose hands are behind them, and how much we value what they represent.

Why was Willow Ranch originally intending to sell only handcrafted products?

We love the beauty of handcrafts. We love the process of handcrafting and what it represents, and the incredible value it embodies.

Why is Willow Ranch now selling manufactured gifts in addition to handcrafts?

Handcraft business has been very slow – despite the fact that people out there will spend astronomical amounts of money on manufactured products, those same people often are reluctant to spend a little on something uniquely handcrafted. In order to attempt to increase business, we had no choice but to add manufactured products to our inventory with the hope that they will bring more shoppers to our store who might also fall in love with something we've handcrafted. What else could we do? Unless consumers are prepared to purchase handcrafts, those of us who love handcrafting need to find other ways to make a living, even if it is a disappointment that it should be so.