In America today, stuff is cheap. As unprofessional and unspecific as that phrase may sound, there’s truth in it.
Today’s Americans can buy almost anything they might want or need at an affordable price. Not only can they buy it, but because of industry standards and safety codes, people know it will likely serve the purpose they need with sufficient success.
Why is it then that Americans spent $29 billion in crafting and hobbies in 2010? There must be another reason people might decide to wire together a pair of earrings instead of running out to Forever 21.
In an article called “The IKEA effect: The psychology behind the attachment to our DIY projects” from Reef Builders, Brian Blank discussed a psychology study a group of researchers published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology.
Blank said, “This act of building something and putting in your own blood, sweat, tears and sometimes frustration into a physical object creates a great sense of value for than object above and beyond its inherent quality—what the researchers have dubbed the ‘IKEA Effect.’”
In the study, the participants who were asked to build a simple IKEA storage box before potentially purchasing it were more likely to pay a higher price for it than the group who did not build but simply shopped for a nearly identical box.
As a society who doesn’t work with our hands as much as we used to, handmade or homemade things have grown to have a pleasant connotation. Soup cans labeled as tasting “homemade,” jewelry sold as “handcrafted” and other popular references speak to the part of people that value something that takes time and thought instead of coming off of a factory line.
Of course, aside from the satisfaction of making things with our hands for our own use, being able to personalize products is definitely important. Having a shirt nobody else will have because you designed the rhinestone pattern is a huge ego boost. Even if you don’t have time to sew a dress or build a bookcase, making a small project can help you feel more confident and in control.
Try using fabric markers to jazz up a pair of old Converse shoes or bake a batch of brownies from scratch. You may not save a lot of money and it will take a little time, but making something from the ground up is a satisfying and relaxing experience that will help you be more unique and independent.
