Buy Handmade: Handkerchiefs

 

Handmade Handkerchiefs

Handkerchiefs might seem a little bit gross at first, if you’re used to the paper disposable kind, but just like disposable menstrual products, a lot of that is because we are barraged with marketing messages designed to make us feel like our bodies are disgusting and we need these wasteful products to somehow be cleaner.

There is nothing disgusting about using a handkerchief. What is disgusting is pounds and pounds of paper waste in our landfills that we used to blow our noses one time. Not to mention how gross it is that we think it’s OK to destroy virgin forests – ecosystems that help filter air pollution and make our air breathable – just so we can blow our noses once and then toss that tissue in the trash can.

On Wednesday we talked about a couple of easy, DIY methods to make your own handkerchiefs, but in case you don’t sew or if you’re already sick and the thought of sitting at the sewing table exhausts you, I did a little Etsy fantasy shopping and found a few crafters making organic, handmade handkerchiefs that are cute and functional!

1. The Basics

Joy in the Home sells a set of six white, super-soft hankies in organic cotton. At just $10 for the set, these are perfect for beefing up your hankie stash without breaking the bank.

She also makes a great point in her listing description: another benefit of cloth hankies? They are way more gentle on your nose than paper. Even the paper ones that they coat in chemical moisturizer. I blew my nose for a week with cotton hankies, and while I did have a little bit of redness, it was nowhere near the pain and discomfort that comes with a paper tissue.

2. The Handkerchief….Book?

How brilliant is this? Crafter Leslie Uke creates these awesome books of handkerchiefs: The HankyBook. You’ve got pages and pages of cloth hankies bound together, and the cover keeps the handkerchiefs clean between uses and your purse or pockets clean when you’ve been using them.

3. Cutest Hankies in Handkerchief Town

Sometimes when you’re sick, a little cute can go a long way in cheering you up! These sweet, organic cotton handkerchiefs from Sarah Waterhouse are just the ticket. They come in a cute strawberry print that she hand-screens herself onto each hankie. Just try to be a grumpy sick person with one of these in your pocket!

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