to think that locally made "craft" shops are dire?

[HotGrapefruit]

I really REALLY try to support local businesses, but we have a few of these local 'craft' shops that have popped up, with home-made nonsense from local people, and they are without exception all terrible.

Honestly, it's the sort of thing that if my children brought it home from school I would put in the bin in a very short period of time.

I feel awful for thinking it, because I try to be very positive about these things, but everything is terrible. And all mixed in with weird 3D printed dragons that are just EVERYWHERE these days.

What do people buy from these shops? Or are they all terrible, without exception?

I can’t comment on craft shops because we don’t have anything like that local to us. Though I do have a friend who has set up an Etsy business peddling her ‘crafts’, which are so awful it’s fucking hilarious. It’s literally what your 4 year old would bring home from nursery, pebbles painted (very badly) as ladybirds etc. I’m half expecting her to diversify into pasta jewellery.

Our two local craft/art/creative shops are full of really good things, so I think you're wrong to generalise.

We don't have the craft shops but every year we go to "artisan" Xmas markets around town, and it's so bad... Same as you we want to be supportive, but it needs to be semi-professional at least.
Some are crazy expensive as well, like £50 for a vase from someone who seemed to have followed a 10 weeks course in pottery!

I think our local independent shops tend to be good, but we often have craft fairs at the Guildhall and 25-50% of the stalls sell stuff that frankly I could make a better job of. Our local Hobbycraft has a section with homemade earrings and they are actually really, really good - I guess because it's a shop they have certain quality standards that need to be met - whereas on your own stall you can sell whatever nonsense you wish, which is fair enough if you're paying for the table/pitch!

There are no craft shops where I live, but there are places where people can rent a shelf to sell their stuff. Most stuff is good, but you do get "handmade" greetings cards that have used AI images, or AI images printed on to bags, cushion covers etc.

It doesn’t really matter what you think because, as with all things, the market will decide. Either people will like them and pay for them or they won’t and they’ll go out of business.

This has not been my experience. We have excellent craft shops and markets in the area. Some things are not to my taste but it doesn't make them awful. People who are not "crafty" often do, however, have expectations that everything will look "professional" and be sold for pennies. The beauty of handmade things is that they retain marks and character of the maker and £50 vase is dirt cheap when you consider the cost of materials and kiln time as well as hefty market fees.

Not so much craft shops here, more so people selling absolute shite on Facebook. For example pound shop sweets in a temu box with a ribbon wrapped around and they sell them for extortionate prices. The worst thing is people want to buy this rubbish. I'm in the wrong business 😂

Oh I'm really interested in WHAT is good? I do live in the arse end of rural nowhere, so maybe we have NO talent locally.

yes a LOT of AI images on things, I noticed.

We have absolutely no ceramics - I imagine that might be very nice. It's mainly just buttons stuck on cards or families made with sea-glass and pebbles...

There is usually a thread on here around December/Xmas time where people post the handmade shite they have seen on local FB groups. Is worth watching when it comes up 😄

Highland cows? There are always highland cows.

YES and geese for some reason???

I agree
and they’re so expensive too. I could make this [apparently it’s a] photo frame myself

Again, not my cup of tea but there is market for these things and it doesn't make them objectively awful. Just not to your taste. I would never decorate my house with "live, love, laugh" posters or "HOME" wooden cutouts but know a lot of people who are happy to do so.
I picked up countless art prints, homemade soaps and chutneys from markets, tough. I am currently wearing toasty handmade woolen socks and fingerless gloves I picked up in a craft shop in Spring.

I help a friend out at a pop up cafe every now and then - there are several stalls there selling crafty things. Every time I'm there I walk round to see if there's something I could buy, just to be supportive, but honestly it's absolutely awful. I think it's because the crafters don't have any taste. I would love to buy one-off pieces that were well made and well designed. I've hardly ever seen anyone buy anything from them - they certainly wouldn't be making back their table costs.

No. My local ones are great.

That's a very common argument. But you don't make it and if you ever gave it a go, you'd probably find out that the cost of materials and time justifies why it is so "expensive".

There are one or two of these shops in our local shopping centre selling dire stuff.

one place was selling dog coats nade out of the cheapest fleece and clearly made on their home sewing machine. Which meant the seams weren’t finished properly.

people think they’ve got a couple of years of sewing and they can flog what they’ve made 🙄

dont even get me started on the little girl dresses that people try and flog. WHERE do they get such vile material from

Yep. We suffer from an influx of sea glass jewellery and pictures and those hideous pyrography wall plaques. And knitted alpacas/Highland cows.
Oh and I nearly forgot the quirky collages and paintings of our coastline.
Always with a pink or blue Pembrokeshire cottage in the foreground.

I buy a lot from independent retailers but I agree with you.

There's a craft group at my church and every so often they hold a craft sale and a lot of it is fabulous. Hand knitted jumpers, hats etc There was also an absolutely stunning handmade quilt which was raffled and I was gutted I didn't win it!

Yep, I often see things I could easily make... if I spent £90 on all the supplies first.

Not just Highland cows - multicoloured Highland cows. I mean, why?