The Rise of the Craftsman

Who says there’s nothing new under the sun? Originality can still be done–just leave it to the craftsmen! Over at swissmiss there’s talk of new online communities where people can request custom-made goods. It seems that factory-made products don’t dazzle the way they used to. A new trend shows the return to desiring hand-wrought pieces.

I remember when the Etsy craze first flared up, with original, handmade pieces fashioned by the tastes of crafty homemakers. Now there’s Custom Made and Makeably, where you can request absolutely anything you can imagine into existence with the help of the many craftsmen just a few clicks away. These online marketplaces boast thousands of professional makers who can churn out custom, quality goods that stem from your own ideas. Just be sure to include specific details to better describe exactly what you want!

Makeably self-describes:

Makeably is a new way for people with creative ideas to collaborate with makers to create custom items. As it’s become easier to buy things from anywhere in the world, It’s become even harder to find that exact thing you want, that perfect gift, something truly unique and, more importantly, specific to you.  We founded Makeably because we believe in making it easy for you to turn your thoughtful and original ideas into reality, with a little help from our hand-picked community of makers.

And the process is easy! Custom Made requires only four steps: 1)Find ideas, 2) Post your project, 3) Choose maker, 4) Track progress.

Personally, I’d ask for one of those cigar box four-stringers–like the ones they used to play in the Civil War era. Or perhaps a porcelain butter keeper with handpainted daisies on it. The possibilities are endless if you’ve got a hungry imagination and a craftsman looking for work.

Nia James Kiesow

Nia James Kiesow

Nia James Kiesow likes culture, historical fiction, Japanese ramen, illustrating, and technology. Born and raised in San Diego, California, she now lives in Gramercy in NYC. Nia is currently the admin