These Handmade-to-Order Bags Look Good *and* Do Good!
Around here, we love customization of all kinds. We’re always looking for different ways to customize our homes, from bespoke fabrics to fridges to iPhone cases, with just about everything in between. Our latest find on the custom front is Better Life Bags, a handmade bag company that’s all about embodying the mission “custom with a cause.”
The company started when founder Rebecca was expecting her first baby and set out to design her own diaper bag. She posted a photo of it on Facebook, and custom design requests started pouring in. The result? Better Life Bags!
Because she wanted to use her success to help others, Rebecca initially partnered with Kiva.org to give 10 percent of every sale to a low income entrepreneur in a developing country.
Now, she’s taken her love of community entrepreneurialism to another level. She and her family moved themselves to a low income area of Detroit, in order to provide employment for an underserved community of first generation immigrants from countries such as Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, and Yemen.
Rebecca hires women who otherwise cannot get jobs to work for Better Life Bags. The company rents a sewing machine and the necessary tools for each woman, while teaching them a skill set that will allow them to provide for their families. These women are able to work from home, with fabrics being delivered and finished items picked up on a daily or weekly basis. How awesome is that? You can read more about the Better Life Bags mission here.
So now you know about the company — what about the bags? You can get messenger bags, totes, diaper bags, and laptop cases, all with the ability to customize different leather and fabric combinations. Each bag is handmade for you, and the story that goes along with it is bound to bring a smile to the face of you and the woman that made your bag. Check out all the goodies you can customize right here.
We’re big fans of good-doing entrepreneurs and makers like Rebecca. If you know of any other like-minded creative companies we should check out, leave us a note in the comments below!
