New Product Development: Hand-sewn Pouches

Our most recent venture at Homemade Hemp by Kandy is the creation of our newest product: hand-sewn pouches. We shopped far and wide to find the cutest fabrics and buttons in order to create these versatile bags, which can be used to hold credit cards and coupons, makeup, pens and pencils, cell phones, cigarette packs,sunglasses and pretty much anything you can think of! 

These pouches are made from cotton fabric in a variety of colors and patterns. Our Facebook album Fabric 2011 is updated frequently with all of our fabric choices, allowing you to customize your pouch. Each pouch is lined with coordinating broad cloth for stability. We also have bucket loads of adorable buttons that can be added for even more cuteness! The pouches are roughly 7" by 4" and either fasten with velcrow or a button and elastic loop. 

Our handmade pouches are affordable, adorable, versatile, and unique! Check out the current selection on our Facebook page or online store. Can't find anything you like? Email us at homemadehempbykandy@inbox.com and make a custom order!

Jewelry Spotlight: Valentine's Day

It's the time of year when your significant other continiously drops hints about Valentine's Day plans and presents. What do you have in store for the person you love?

Here's an idea: a one-of-a-kind handmade necklace from Homemade Hemp by Kandy.

The creation of this necklace was very time consuming, seeing as how it's 3 necklaces in one. Each strand of eco-friendly hemp cord was hand-tied in a square knot pattern, and then braided together. The pink, white, and red colors reflect the Valentine's Day theme.

The focal point of any necklace is always the charm. The charm on this necklace is glass, heart-shaped, and red in color. It is vibrant, smooth, and hangs nicely on the braided strands. The necklace measures 19" and fastens with a silver-colored lobster clasp.

A unique gift such as this would "wow" any woman. There's only one in stock at http://www.shophandmade.com/Item/6-758-H06Q5PR. There are more beautiful Valentine's Day jewelry on the website as well. Plus, it's 20% off and ships anywhere in the US for free.

Make this Valentine's Day one that she will never forget with a hand-made and unique gift!

Find the Perfect Jewelry Set

Have you ever found the cutest pair of earrings, but don't have anything to match?

This happened to me yesterday at the TJ Maxx in Evansville, IN. They had an awesome pair of Lucky Brand earrings that I fell in love with immediately. I had to have them.

I searched for a matching necklace, but there was nothing remotely similar. Although I was disappointed, I bought them anyway because I knew I could make my own necklace out of supplies from home. Here's what I came up with. I think the set looks absolutely fantastic.

So here's the moral of the story: if you need a matching set of jewelry for a special occasion, a certain outfit, or just for fun, contact a jewelry artist and you will be completely satisfied. Your piece will be 100% unique and beautiful.

New Product Development: Handmade Pendants

For the past two years at Homemade Hemp by Kandy, our primary focus has been the production of hemp jewelry. We bought our supplies from online wholesalers and local craft outlets such as Hobby Lobby and Michaels. After much experience at craft and art shows, we have found that homemade pendants sell well to both customers and jewelry-makers. Plus, they are surpisingly easy to make.

We've been experimenting with handmade charms for a few months now and our finished products premiered last month at a show in Evansville, Indiana.

Our homemade pendants are made from a variety of household items, such as washers, bottle caps, and Scrabble tiles. We can put any image on the pendants, including cartoon characters, peace signs, photographs, initials, and other designs. This helps us continue to fill demand since we can customize the pendant to exactly what the customer is looking for: a piece as beautiful and unique and the person ordering it.

We use supplies that make our pendants durable and affordable. Products like these tend to range from $5 to $9 in price, but Homemade Hemp by Kandy brings these unique items to the market for $4 a piece. We give bulk discounts to other jewelry makers as well.

We use these pendants for our own jewery production, which continues to help our handmade hemp jewelry stand out from our competitors. Homemade Hemp by Kandy offers the broadest and most unique selection of macrame jewelry around. Plus, our prices are GREAT.

All of our jewelry and pendants are handmade with love and care. Consider placing an order with us today. It's fast, easy, and worthwhile. Please go to our website for more information: http://kandyhemp.shopping.officelive.com/

A Gift that Will Keep on Giving

The biggest shopping day of the year is coming. Do you want to wake up at 4 AM, sit in traffic, wait in line, and fight off hundreds of other early birds for the best deals? I don’t either. That’s why I’m going to be giving handmade gifts to all my family and friends for Christmas.

Handmade gifts, whether you make them yourself or buy them from an artist, will last forever. Maybe not physically, but the memory of that particular Christmas will be talked about for years afterwards. Handmade gifts show that you really put thought into the purchasing process and wanted to give something totally unique to your loved ones.

Each handmade item has an individual personality – just like the person you’re shopping for. The artist who crafted the item put time, effort, love, and expertise into creating it. When you give a unique present, it says a lot about who you are as a person. It makes you stand out from the rest of the family members, who went and bought generic items from Macy’s or any other department store. A unique handmade gift gives you a more personal connection with the loved one you’re giving it too.

Buying handcrafted Christmas presents also stimulates small business, which makes up more than 90% of all business in America and provides many jobs for the working class. These small companies greatly appreciate your business and work harder for your satisfaction. Buying handmade goods from small firms increases the connection between business and consumer, and these businesses will probably recognize and remember you when you come back into their shop again. Customer service provided by individual artists and small companies is also more personal and often more effective.

Handmade goods tend to be more ‘green’ as well. Big businesses consume much more raw materials and natural resources than small companies. The complex hierarchy of large firms lessens the company’s awareness of the amounts of wastes they are using in order to manufacture products and run operations. Single artists or smaller firms are much more conscious of the impact their production is having on the environment. They attempt to manufacture goods by using the least amount of resources as possible and often utilize recycled materials.

So when you’re out shopping ( or avoiding getting trampled) on Black Friday, keep in mind that you could make a lasting memory, stimulate the economy, and help sustain the environment by purchasing handmade goods for your loved ones. You could avoid the mad rush at the mall in general by shopping at etsy.com or shophandmade.com , which are two popular marketplaces for handmade goods.

Remember, it’s not about how much you spend. It’s about giving a gift that will last forever. I hope you have a happy and safe holiday season!

Company Profile

Homemade Hemp by Kandy is a provider of hand-tied hemp jewelry, such as necklaces, anklets, bracelets, earrings, and keychains.

We were started in September 2008 in the wonderful city of St. Louis, Missouri. All of our products are handmade (with love!). We offer a selection of beautiful pieces that vary in color and style. We also take custom orders, if you can't find something you like out of our pre-made inventory. Our jewelry has been featured at craft fairs, flea markets, and online marketplaces. We strive for perfection and customer satisfaction. Feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.

Kandace Pohrer, the founder and CEO, is a St. Louis native. She is 20 years old and currently a junior at the University of Evansville, Indiana. She is studying business management and hopes to own her own store someday. She greatly appreciates all of her customers and works very hard to make them happy.