This Is the Unexpected Place to Find Unique Handmade Goods — and You Already Shop There
Unless you’re living under a rock in a cave wearing earplugs, you already know Amazon. But you might not yet know about Amazon Handmade, the site’s online store where makers sell quality handcrafted goods. It also has the quick shipping on thousands of items that you’ve come to expect from Amazon, which is not typically found on other handmade platforms.
Always on the lookout for the latest in home trends, our Home Director Danielle Blundell sat down with Katie Harnetiaux, Global Head of Amazon Handmade, and Kristin Purcell, Amazon Maker and owner of HENRO. They discussed maker culture, hot home decor trends, and more.
One Maker’s Story
Purcell wasn’t always a maker. Until about three years ago, she traveled a lot, working a corporate job in the concrete industry! “We started our little handmade home decor business the day my son was born,” she says. “I looked up at [my husband] and I said, ‘I can’t go back to work. I need to do something else.’ We had been thinking about creating products and starting an e-commerce business.”
The first product HENRO ever sold? A letterboard. It sold out in just weeks, and she’s been expanding the business ever since. “Orders have gone to every state, which we’re so proud of. Working with Amazon has been amazing. There is no other store that is going to get our products to as many consumers.”
Want to see more from Amazon Handmade? Join us at the first-ever Small/Cool Experience, a shoppable home design event at Industry City in the Brooklyn Design District on June 13 and 14!
On Trend (and Off-Center!)
Harnetiaux shared that Amazon Handmade’s current top trends include recycled and upcycled crafts. People are also ditching neutrals, going bigger and bolder with bright colors. “I love that people are getting more comfortable with a splash of color,” she says. “Incorporating your favorite colors in your home decor allows you to create a space that’s unique and personal.”
However, not every Handmade maker follows traditional trends — and there’s an audience for those, too. “We have a woman maker that makes chicken tutus. They sell! Customers and consumers are really looking for something authentic.”
Small Businesses, Major Impact
When you shop Amazon Handmade, everybody wins: you bring home a unique handcrafted item and help support a small business. Purcell wants Amazon shoppers to know just how much every purchase means to her. “To everybody out there that has supported our small business, I so appreciate that support. We feel it every day. My family feels it. I feel the love. Thank you so much.”