Meaning-wise, there is no difference between handmade and handicraft. However, there is a slight difference between handmade and handicraft in usage. Handmade can describe a product made by assembling already manufactured products. Handicrafts are typically made completely by hand or with the use of simple tools. This can be considered as the key difference between handmade and handicraft.

What Does Handmade Mean?

The adjective handmade describes the process of creating a decorative object by hand or the product that was made by hand. The Oxford dictionary defines “Made by hand, not by machine, and typically therefore of superior quality” and Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as“made by hand or by a hand process”. If a product you buy from a shop has a label saying “handmade”, this means that product was created manually by someone. Handmade products are often more expensive as opposed to

factory-made products since they take more time and effort to create.

Figure 01: Paper Crafts

It is also important to notice that jewelry made from a DIY kit, or another decorative object made by assembling shop made parts are also considered as handmade.

What Does Handicraft Mean?

A handicraft is an object that is made by hand or use of simple tools or the process of making these objects. A handicraft is essentially a handmade object. The adjective handcrafted, which is derived from the noun handicraft, is synonymous with the adjective handmade. The noun handicraft is defined by the Oxford dictionary as an “activity involving the making of decorative domestic or other objects by hand”. In Merriam-Webster defines this noun as “an occupation requiring skill with the hands” and “the articles fashioned by those engaged in handicraft”.

Figure 02: Handicraft Models of Deities

Handicraft always involves with manual labor. Although handicraft doesn’t use machinery, it may use simple tools such as paint brushes, needle, and threads, simple weaving machines,etc. The production process may include working with paper, textile, clay, wood, glass, fibers,etc. Embroidery, tapestry, quilt work, spinning, shoemaking, carpentry, jewelry design, glass blowing, paper craft, chip carving, beadwork, and weaving are some examples of handicrafts.

What is the Difference Between Handmade and Handicraft?

Meaning-wise, there is no difference between handmade handicraft. Both refer to objects made by hand or process of making something from hand. However, there is a grammatical difference between handmade and handicrafts as well as a slight difference in the usage of these two words. Handmade vs Handicraft

Handmade can also describe a product made by assembling already manufactured products. (ex: abracelet made shop bought beads)

Handicrafts are typically made completely by hand or with the use of simple tools.

Grammar

Handmade is an adjective. Handicraft is a noun.

Summary – Handmade vs Handicraft

The two terms handmade and handicraft refer to objects made by hand or process of making something by hands. Although there is no definite difference between handmade and handicraft, there is a slight difference in their usage. The term handmade can be used to describe a product made by assembling already manufactured products while handicrafts are typically made completely by hand or with the use of simple tools.

Image Courtesy:

1. “2569543” (Public Domain) via Pixabay

2. “Handicrafts idols” By Diham – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia

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