Abstract:
This thesis charts the resurgence of handmade craft in the contemporary “Do-It-Yourself”
(DIY) movement illuminating its connections to past design movements. Similar to its
American predecessors of past centuries, today’s pursuit of handmade objects is a
significant and monumental movement that promotes moral reform and promises a better
planet, an improved nation, and a happier individual. By examining handmade crafts and
mass-produced crafty-looking objects, this thesis develops a new understanding of why
this type of decorative art has gained mainstream popularity. Studying both the
production and consumption of this movement uncovers why material culture is formed
and how it is used in contemporary American society.
