Ah...the cottage industry...
It is defined as: "An industry where the creation of products and services is home-based, rather than factory-based. While products and services created by cottage industry are often unique and distinctive given the fact that they are usually not mass-produced, producers in this sector often face numerous disadvantages when trying to compete with much larger factory-based companies."
And so, when I find "cottage industry producers" who are trying to compete, I try to support them and offer their products in my shop. Many times the cost of the items will be higher than the mass produced, but how many Americans do you know who want for the 80 cents per hour that the Chinese earn? The workers from rural provinces usually earn about $200 a month, working six or seven days a week. I am sure though many of the American artisans, not to mention small retailers, do not make much more than that some months either, but, when you see products made in the USA, pause and think about the American cottage industry.
Here is a new addition to my "repurposed" theme. Talk about seeing a relationship where none exists--journals made from old records! These are amazing, and they make great gifts if you think about the titles in relationship to the gift. Consider a truly fun gift for the graduate!
Another cottage industry creator is Andrea from Florida. Her cotton scarves will add interest to your spring tees...and each has a pin which could be worn separately as well.
And last some fun soaps made in Georgia. From sweet egg soaps, to molded birds and bunnies, what a neat gift or accent for your bathroom. And, no need to worry about what chemicals might be lurking in the product...triple milled shea butter only...interestingly, shea butter is a fat extracted from the nut of the African shea tree. It is widely used in cosmetics as a moisturizer, salve or lotion. Shea butter is edible and may be used in food preparation, and occasionally the chocolate industry uses shea butter as a substitute for cocoa butter although the taste is different (you think so?).
