When I first made the commitment to buy Made in USA whenever possible, I was quickly overwhelmed. Everything, it seemed, was made in China. It was also quite depressing – all I could see were the thousands of lost jobs.
The one trick I learned very quickly to reduce the overwhelm and still use today: Read the labels on everything before you buy, then make your selection.
Reading labels first spurs my creativity:
- What can I buy that’s made in the U.S.?
- Do I have anything at home that I can use?
- Is there a Made in U.S. item I can substitute that I hadn’t considered?
Example: Purchasing a card and wrapping paper
A woman in my book club was pregnant with her first child (she had a beautiful baby girl). For the gift, I crocheted a baby blanket. For the wrapping paper and card, I headed over to the Paper Store located in my town.
Finding cards, gift wrap, etc. made in the U.S. is becoming harder because Hallmark has moved production to China, but you can still find a few cards and other items if you look.
I already had the pink ribbon on the roll at home, so I purchased the pre-made curly “bow.” It was made in the U.S. from “imported materials.”
The wrapping paper wasn’t quite perfect — it was “baby shower” wrapping paper. I hadn’t been invited to her shower, but bought it anyway because it was made in the U.S. She didn’t notice the shower theme when opening the gift. 🙂
For cards, I’ve learned to always read the back first. Many of them are made in China now, but you can still find U.S. ones tucked in the slots.
What to do if you can’t find something made in the U.S.?
For me, it depends on what I’m buying and how soon I need it. Case in point: the baby gift itself.
As I said, I hand-crocheted the baby afghan for my bookclub friend. It was the first one in years! Fun! However, I quickly learned that finding local stores that carry a good yarn selection, let alone Made in USA, is tough!!
The yarn I used is Encore by Plymouth Yarn Company, Inc.; it was made in Turkey. (I had two choices: the other was China.) Since making this purchase, I’ve been researching Made in US yarns. The closest store that carries a wide selection of them is a two-hour drive from my house. A road trip is definitely in my future.
To sum up, if you’re wanting to support American manufacturing and jobs, start by reading labels. Over time, you’ll learn where things are made, and you’ll know which companies manufacture in the U.S. and which don’t.
You’ll also learn to stock up on the Made in U.S. stuff when you find it — because when you go back to buy more, it may be gone. For example, Hallmark off-shored production of my favorite notecards several years ago. It was a very sad day indeed.
However, my Paper Store now sells Crane notecards and stationary; Crane products are still made in the Berkshires of Western MA. Hurrah!
Post-Script
To crochet the baby blanket, I had to bring up my crochet hooks, which were sitting down cellar in a dust-covered box. I hadn’t used them in over 20 years.
While looking them over, I realized they were all Susan Bates hooks, almost of them Made in the U.S. I quickly did a search and learned they were no longer made in here — but in fact, had been made in Chester, CT.
Road trip! The result is this wonderful post: Gone But Not Forgotten: CJ Bates — Manufacturers of Crochet Hooks. The comments left by people who either live in town, worked at the factory, or love Bates hooks are beautiful.
Links
Crane Stationery — Made in USA page of the company website.
Full Disclosure
I’m not paid nor asked to write about products or the companies that make them. All links in this piece are FREE — meaning, they’re not sponsored or paid for.
My mission is to keep manufacturing jobs stateside and this blog is my way of giving back. We like to think a “small” choice, such as purchasing something made in the US by American workers, won’t make a difference. It does.