Thursday is Thanksgiving. I like Thanksgiving, of course. It’s got food and family togetherness and desserts and table decorating, plus a parade! But you’ve probably got plans by this point, and the Internet offers plenty of turkey techniques and green bean casserole recipes.

This week also marks another big day for the holiday season. Historically,
Black Friday is a giant day for retailers and consumers alike. Many people start their Christmas shopping, or get a large burst of it done by taking advantage of huge sales.

However, online activists like the creators of http://www.buyhandmade.org have another idea: This year, why not skip the madness of the major retailers and give handmade gifts to your loved ones? Whether you make them yourself, or purchase them from the artists and crafters who created them, you’re supporting the handmade movement.

Handmade gifts make the holidays special for the giver and the recipient, but here are some other things to consider: It’s good for the earth. No factory production. No wasteful packaging. No sweatshops or unfair trade practices. So far this year, over 30,000 people have already taken the pledge to buy handmade this year and to ask others to do the same.

It can be daunting to go 100 percent handmade. Maybe you usually get your brother-in-law a DVD. I love giving books as holiday gifts. If you want to get your feet wet, but don’t think you can commit to only handmade gifts this year, make yourself your own goal for the season. This is not an all or nothing movement. Just one handmade gift supports an artist or crafter, and keeps plastic packaging out of a landfill. Just one handmade gift promotes a message that the holidays are not about consumerism and inspires others to join the handmade movement.

This year, maybe you will try to buy or make 10 handmade gifts. This year, maybe you’ll buy or make one handmade gift for each person you’re buying for. This year, maybe you’ll pass this article along or send these Web sites to a few friends and encourage them to give handmade gifts.

Not so crafty yourself? Check out http://www.etsy.com for a giant selection
of handmade items. Artists and crafters from all over the world can place their items up for sale into a searchable catalog of awesome.

Etsy is home to jewelry makers, portrait painters, handbag makers, woodworkers, scarf knitters, vegan-friendly un-leather workers, photographers, and much more. The tags and descriptions make it easy to find gifts for anyone on your list, and they even off er helpful gift guides featuring their favorite crafters. This is the year to pledge handmade. Whether you make one gift or every gift, promise to support arts, crafts and the handmade movement this year. I hear the Black Friday deals won’t be that good, anyway.

• http://www.adbusters.org/campaigns/bnd
o Buy Nothing Day - Adbusters encourages you to buy nothing on Black Friday.

• http://www.swemamasew.com/blog2
o Another great blog with lots of tutorials (despite the name, the blog isn’t mama or baby-centric).

• http://www.buyhandmade.org
o Join over 30,000 people around the world who have already pledged to buy handmade goods this year.

• http://www.whlpup.net
o A great blog featuring tutorials and how-tos.

• http://www.etsy.com
o Your place to buy and sell things all handmade.