Handmade is….?

I realize that I am about to step out on a limb here, but I really want to know what you think???  According to Webster’s Dictionary, handmade is made with the hands or by using hand tools.  Sounds simple enough, but is it?  With all the publicity surrounding the extremely successful “handmade” Etsy seller I thought I would take a chance and ask you what your definition of handmade is….

The purist:  You raise alpacas, you sheer the wool, card it, spin it, dye it, knit it into an amazing sweater.  I can’t imagine anyone questioning whether or not you are handmade!  My question would be how much would you have to charge for a sweater to cover all your hours of labor????

Don’t make the components, but the components are transformed:  How about those that purchase a bunch of components and put them together to create an amazing necklace?  No, you didn’t make the components themselves but bought them individually and then took your own imagination and vision to create your wearable masterpiece.   Or you bought all the ingredients from a supplier but stood over your stove for hours combining them into amazing soaps or candles….My guess is that most would call this handmade and this would be where most of the artists and crafters that I know would fall.

Now we get sticky.  How about a mass produced charm on a mass produced chain with no further embellishment?  How about mass produced lace socks where you sew on a mass produced button or lace?  Handmade?  For me, this is where is gets grey…..what do you think?

Each and every venue has their own rules as to what qualifies as handmade.  Etsy allows the third option to call themselves handmade where other sites, like Handmade Artists do not allow items such as these.  Each artist and crafter must decide for themselves what their definition of handmade is and then find a venue that suits them and their work.

So share with me, what do you think?  What is your requirement to be called handmade?