In the internet age, you don’t have to rely on church bazaars, local boutiques, or galleries to buy handmade goods. Online marketplaces such as Etsy, Artfire, 1000 Markets, and others have brought handmade goods from all over the globe to your fingertips.

You can use galleries such as this one to quickly discover the best of the best on these sites and select your favorites to purchase for friends & family.

so how do these sites work?

Crafters & artists set up their own shop. You purchase directly from them and not through the site you are on – however, that site makes it as easy as possible to make the transaction. Add what you’d like to your shopping cart (most of the time you’ll have to register for an account) and check out. You’ll have the option to leave a note to each seller (i.e. size/color choice, questions about shipping, etc…).

At checkout you’ll be prompted to pay each seller that you are purchasing from.

The vast majority of sellers accept payment by credit or debit card through PayPal. You do not need to have an account at PayPal to use their service.

tips for improving the experience

**Each seller is given feedback by previous customers. If you’re hesitant about making this kind of intimate purchase, check out your potential seller’s feedback.

**If you purchase of crafters in your neck of the woods, you’ll likely receive your items more quickly and might even be able to arrange pick-up!

**Check out a shop owner’s policies before you buy. Some have stock on hand others create your item specially for you when you order it. Shipping times can vary accordingly and you don’t want to be surprised!

**Be sure to visit the artist’s blog, Facebook fan page, or twitterstream, if she has one, to see if there are any sales on!

**Instead of shopping for handmade with a preconceived notion of what you want to buy, shop with the recipient in mind. Galleries like this one {or my friends over at paper n stich and the try handmade gallery} allow you to browse beautiful items and find something that speaks to you!