A Brief History

The idea behind the Happily Handmade Giveaway began in the Spring of 2004 from a brainstorming session among a handful of indie artists looking for a unique way to promote their businesses and reward their customers. In five years they’ve hosted seven events, each one growing larger and more successful. What began as a small ordeal has grown to surpass their wildest expectations. The Fall 2004 event awarded gift baskets to nine winners, a measly number when compared to the Winter 2007 event which generated fifty-one winners and over $15,000 in prizes.

The Happily Handmade Giveaway is sponsored by a talented group of participating indie artists, designers, and shops who contribute their unique handmade creations to the Happily Handmade Giveaway. These items are sorted and combined to create fabulous prize boxes filled with handmade gifts, worth about $250 a piece, which are then given away to randomly drawn contestants. Yet it isn’t only the winners who benefit. Businesses participating in the giveaway report a huge increase in traffic to their site and subscriptions to their mailing list.

Knowing that we are helping these small businesses reach their target market is an amazing feeling. It only gets better when you see how happy everyone is to learn about them!

When asked why they run this giveaway, Lindsay and Nicole will give you a smile and point out the track record for both shoppers and designers. “It’s summed up best in an email we got from one of our winners during the Fall 2006 Giveaway,” reports Lindsay, “The winner thanked us for hosting the contest, then went on to tell us that she had not been familiar with most of the companies that took part in the contest until she entered. She also told us that she had already purchased additional items from the businesses involved and had created a wish list of other items to buy. Knowing that we are helping these small businesses reach their target market is an amazing feeling. It only gets better when you see how happy everyone is to learn about them!”

The 2009 Happily Handmade giveaway will officially begin on April 1, 2009. Entries will be accepted through May 13, and the winners of the extraordinary gift baskets will be announced on May 18. Contestants can enter the giveaway by visiting the participating Indie Shop Sponsors websites and submitting their contact information. Each website will feature a separate entry form, allowing entrants to increase their chances of winning by simply visiting more of the Indie Shop Sponsors.

A huge thank you is in order to all of the sponsors who help make this possible. And to all of the people who have helped spread the good word about this event and the DIY spirit. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for supporting independent artists, everywhere!

Who We Are

The Happily Handmade Giveaway doesn’t just run itself, you know. The driving forces behind the giveaway volunteer their valuable time to make this thing happen.

Nicole Theis-DeMoss: The big cheese. Nicole has been with the giveaway since the very beginning. She’s the driving force behind everything, and is responsible for making this event as hugely successful as it has been. Visit her shop, Funky Utopia at http://www.shopfunkyutopia.com.

Lindsay Landis: The mad skills behind this website and all the pretty things that go along with it, Lindsay joined the HHG in Spring of 2005 and hasn’t let up since. You can visit her graphic design website, Purr Design, at http://www.purrdesign.com, and she also makes some pretty rad pet collars, available at http://www.patternandpaw.com.

Lilie Wells: Lilie has so graciously taken over the massive task of managing sponsors, registrations, requirements, and all. She is one talented lady and we are so happy to have her on board. Check out her beautiful jewelry at A Planet 4 Creation, http://www.aplanet4creation.com.

Want to Help?

Interested in volunteering your mad skills to help make the HHG even better? Maybe you’ve got a particular way with words, maybe you’re a PR machine, maybe you love crunching numbers, or maybe you’re just a hardworking individual who wants to contribute. Any way, we’re always looking for help! Get in touch with us and we’ll find something for you to do.