Rob Walker and the New Craft Revolution

Perhaps you’ve noticed, as we did, the little button to the right over there that has appeared on all our favorite crafty blogs in the last few months. It’s a pledge from the folks at the Handmade Consortium, where you promise to buy your holiday presents from the makers of the world, rather than, say, the American Girl store.

Rob Walker, who has the greatest last name in history, has a nice long story in yesterday’s New York Times Magazine called “Handmade 2.0,” which explores the culture of making stuff by hand and selling it for profit, mostly online. He opens with the story behind that button, then travels to craft epicenters like the Etsy warehouse, infiltrates craft communities like the Austin Craft Mafia, and meets craft gurus, including the creator of the documentary Handmade Nation. Cleverest of all are the article’s sections, breaking down the story into how-to steps. Crafty!

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