Over the weekend, I went to the Crafty Bastards craft fair here in D.C. I love this fair. Lots of fun, eclectic handmade items for sale. As always, I had to pick up some soaps from Biggs and Featherbelle, but I also picked up some gifts from The Broken Plate Pendant Company. It was so much fun to just wander and see what people had made.
Of course, this isn't the place to find cheap deals. A lot of these crafters put quality materials into their products, and those aren't cheap. They definitely deserve to make some money for their labor (and based on some of the prices, I'm not sure many of them were making much). But it's a great way to find something unique for yourself or as a gift for someone else.
I love perusing etsy to see all the creative things people have made. I am not visually creative at all. Give me words or music anyday. I enjoy visual arts, but can't make them. I can color inside the lines, but that's about it.
However, if you are creative, maybe that's a way to save money (or even make money, if you want to put your wares on etsy). Instead of buying, try making! As the mass retailers like to remind us, Christmas is coming. It's a little early to hear holiday music in the stores, but not too early to start making gifts. After all, that takes time.
Or you can be like me and support the indie crafter and buy something unique as a gift. Lots of options.