National Handmade Day – April 1, 2023

History of National Handmade Day

From Scratch Farm is responsible for the creation of National Handmade Day. It is a website run by Amy Bierstadt, who describes herself as “Maker extraordinaire. Single mom to a high school senior, a sixth-grader, three hens, a corgi, and a Quaker parrot… Creator of National Handmade Day.” On her website, Amy writes that even though most holidays posted on social media are just “made for laughs,” National Handmade Day is important because it holds value for small business owners.

Handmade products are products that are made either partially or completely by hand, without the use of machinery. This excludes goods that are mass-produced with automated tools. Other terms for handmade art include handicraft, artisanal handicraft, artisanry, handcrafting, and arts and crafts. During the mid-19th century, the Arts and Crafts movement began. The movement was sparked as a result of the changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution. Industrialization brought about startling changes in the nature of production, such as mass-production and the use of machinery, eclipsing the need for manual labor. This also led to a massive influx of workers into cities and factories, which contributed to environmental pollution.

The movement was headed by William Morris of England, who had become increasingly concerned by the changes caused in the wake of the Industrial Revolution. Morris founded a firm, made up of interior decorators and manufacturers.