For the Love of Etsy!

Okay boys & girls, today we are going to talk about a serious obsession I’ve had in the last year…Etsy – a global marketplace where creativity comes to life in both large and small production sizes. It’s the place to go where you know you will be purchasing something unique, most often handmade, and supporting a small business. Etsy is host to about 1.6 million sellers in almost every country in the world*. I became a huge Etsy fan a couple years ago when I wanted to get my two sisters something really unique and beautiful for Christmas. Personally, I feel much more willing to spend a couple extra bucks on something knowing it is well made and from a small business. The personal touches that many of the Etsy shop owners put in their products makes the price tags much more appealing. With that being said, Etsy is not the type of website you are going to find a bargain. These are small shops who are trying to make a living and support their crafting hobbies. I’ve found you can expect to pay anywhere from a couple dollars to upwards of $20 more for an item on Etsy than you will from a box store. I do however find the quality of the items I’ve purchased on Etsy to be much higher and long-lasting. Here are a couple of my favorite finds on Etsy that I’ve gotten
over the years.



Vintage Green Bay Packers Wall Mounted Bottle Opener By HandySam $42.00 + $8.35 shipping This was a gift for my husband one Christmas while we were still dating. I purchased this bottle opener after going through a series of painful purchases and returns with the NFL Shop. The craftsmanship of this bottle opener is exceptional. The vintage can gave my husband’s man cave a classic feel and the metal bottle opener is sturdy. I would definitely purchase this item again for other family members. This gift was a hit!

Plaid Tartan Blanket Scarf (Monogramming Available) By SewPriorAttireMitten $18.50 + $4.00 shipping     I was looking for a great winter scarf last year when I was pregnant. I need something super warm and cozy and something big enough that could double as a shawl in my office, which was absolutely frigid in the winter. This scarf fit thebill! It was so soft, I wanted to take naps on it under my desk. I used it all winter long as a scarf, shawl and even a makeshift blanket while at work. This was actually the most affordable large winter scarf I found. The only downside to this one was I am a very petite person, so the scarf was a little over powering on my frame, but I didn’t really mind too much.

Large Minky Baby Blanket – Black Stag Rustic By SandHCreate $55.00 + $5.75 shipping I almost didn’t purchase this blanket for my son because of the extensive production time (at least 3 weeks), as well as a few reviews that stated the quality of stitching was not worth the cost. I beg to differ. This blanket is so soft, and the stag print fabric is just so adorable! This is perfect for chilly night feedings and a cozy blanket for the car seat. My son seems to love it (or as much as a four month old would). I love how large the size of this blanket is because we can use it as Cooper gets older. I found it extremely easy to wash and I think the stitching is just fine. Not sure what the other reviewers were talking about.



Wild Words Baby Shoes By MarleyOcean $18.00 + $4.00 shipping I struggled to find shoes for my son to wear to day care. Not many stores sell well fitting 0-3 month size shoes for babies. I found these in a quick search and we LOVE them! The backs are stretchy so they do not slip off Cooper’s feet. The inside is lined with a thin fleece so they are warm but don’t make his feet sweat. There are multiple options for the type of souls you can get on these including leather, suede, non-slip. I purchased the standard white dot non-slip bottom. All of these shoes are hand sewn and just adorable. I ended up purchasing a second pair for him to grow into in a camo print.

On Top of It – Printed A5 Day-on-One Planner Inserts (6 months/90 sheets) By VeronicaFoleyDesign $35.00 + $4.50 shipping I am super picky about the inserts I use for my Filofax. I hate how ugly and cluttered the standard Filofax inserts are, so I really like having the option to purchase additional inserts elsewhere. The quality of this shop’s work is impeccable. The paper is a nice, heavy stock so your ink does not bleed through. The pages are front and back, day-on-one layouts. I love that they section off the To-Do’s into three blank sections, which I use for Work, Life & Wedding to-dos. These are plain black & white printed, which I love using with colored washi tape & markers. The seller shipped my inserts along with a handful of samples of other products like her Weekly Meal Planner inserts, Fitness Tracker inserts, and a Thank You card with envelope (which is gorgeous stationary!!). She also sent over a 10% coupon on my next order, which I will definitely be placing soon. So beautiful!


I’ve only ever come across one Etsy purchase that I really disliked. Most shop owners on Etsy will try to rectify an unhappy customer by remaking & resending an item or offering a discount. I find the customer service of Etsy shop owners to be above every other retailer I’ve used. Etsy is my go-to for everything beautiful. Share your awesome Etsy finds with me in the comments section! And if you have another site you love shopping for crafty goods, please share!!

*Statistics have been pulled directly from Etsy.com.

**Photo credits are from individual shop owners.