Buying Handmade makes for better gift giving:

The giver of a handmade gift has avoided the parking lots and long lines of the big chain stores in favor of something more meaningful.
If the giver has purchased the gift, s/he feels the satisfaction of supporting an artist or crafter directly.
The recipient of the handmade gift receives something that is one-of-a-kind,
and made with care and attention that can be seen and touched.
It is the result of skill and craftsmanship that is absent in the world of large-scale manufacturing.

  Buying Handmade is better for people:

The ascendancy of chain store culture and global manufacturing has left us dressing, furnishing, and decorating alike.
We are encouraged to be consumers, not producers, of our own culture.
Our ties to the local and human sources of our goods have been lost.
Buying handmade helps us reconnect.

  Buying Handmade is better for the environment:

The accumulating environmental effects of mass production are a major cause of global warming and the poisoning of our air, water and soil.
Every item you make or purchase from a small-scale independent artist or crafter strikes a small blow to the forces of mass production.

Resources for the Handmade Movement:

• Stich Links
  A global friendship network researching the therapeutic benefits of knitting and stitching.
• Sew Green
  Multi-authored blog on crafting and the environment
• TheEco-Fashion Revolution
  On Alternet: You Are What You Wear
• Hand Made Theory
  Interesting blog about contemporary craft, physical making, and their relationship with culture, technology and design.
• Wikipedia's definition of Craftivism
• Extreme Craft

Consumer Info:

• Consumer Consequences
  An interactive game designed to illustrate the impact of our lifestyles on the Earth.
• Why Consumption Matters
  By David Tilford of The Sierra Club.
• Conscientious Consuming
  On the process of evaluating the conduct and activities of product manufacturers when purchasing consumer products.
• Behind the Label
  A multimedia news web site covering stories of people fighting for human and labor rights against the global clothing industry.
• The Sustainability Dictionary
  An open dictionary focusing on how sustainability concepts are creating new understandings in business, government, and society.
• The Consumerist
  News blog for conscious consumers, with a sense of humor.
• Green America
  A not-for-profit harnessing the strength of consumers, investors, businesses, and the marketplace to create a just and environmentally sustainable society.