In a world of next-day delivery and endless choice, it’s easy to forget that most of what once filled our homes came from someone’s hands—from their time, patience and skill. Choosing to buy handmade is an act of return: to connection, to craft, to meaning. It’s a pause in the rush of convenience—a reminder that true value isn’t measured by what something costs, but by the story it carries.
Where the Story Begins
In Cam Berghout’s studio, that story begins with clay. Patience and pressure shape a melody into form. The rhythm of his hands becomes meditative as the wheel spins, slowly transforming earth into vessel, and vessel into offering — something meant to be used, loved and passed along, holding the imprint of its maker and the intention behind it.
Cam first touched clay as a child during a school field trip. “I made this little self-portrait mask—spiky hair, dimples, everything,” he recalls. “It’s silly and unrefined, but it hangs above my pottery wheel today.” Years later, what began as a fleeting fascination became a defining force. “I got hooked in high school after seeing a friend’s beautiful work,” he says. “It was fun, it was messy—and I just wanted to keep learning.”
Life eventually pulled him away from pottery, until an injury years later rekindled the spark. “I couldn’t rock climb anymore, so I needed something new. When I came back to clay, it felt like reconnecting with an old friend—one that reminded me who I was.”
By mid-2020, in the quiet of pandemic isolation, Cam turned that reconnection into a business. He ordered a wheel and kiln, dove headfirst into creating and hasn’t looked back since.
Form and Function
Cam’s work is defined by intentional simplicity—pottery designed for the everyday. “My mugs are the first thing to graze our lips in the morning,” he says, “and my plates are the last thing to go into the dishwasher after a candlelit dinner.” Each curve is shaped for comfort and balance, meant to be held and used. “I think about the end user constantly,” he explains. “How will it feel in their hands? How does it fit into their life?”
Why Handmade Still Matters
Every handmade object carries the story of its maker—something mass production can’t replicate. “When someone purchases from a small local maker, a one-to-one connection is established,” Cam explains. “The maker completely backs their work and values every individual customer.”
That connection is what keeps communities vibrant. When you buy small, your dollars support creativity, craftsmanship and dreams.
And in today’s digital age, shopping small doesn’t mean sacrificing convenience. Cam’s work is available on Etsy — just as easy to order, but infinitely more personal. “Ordering from a small business means you can message the maker directly,” he says. “You can ask questions, request a custom glaze or just know whose hands shaped the thing that will soon rest in yours.”
The Gift of Connection
Handmade gifts are about intention. They slow us down just long enough to remember that giving is an act of meaning, not obligation. “The memory of my hands stays in the clay,” Cam says. “Those fingerprints are locked in during firing—they’ll last longer than I will.”
This December, as you search for the perfect gift, consider the story it carries: a mug that starts someone’s morning. A bowl that will serve countless dinners. A plate that may outlast its maker.
Because when you buy handmade, you’re not just giving an object—you’re giving a piece of someone’s craft, care and courage to keep creating. From Cam’s hands to yours, this season is an invitation to shop small, gift intentionally, and rediscover the beauty of the human touch.
Give something that can’t be rushed or replicated.
Find Cam’s work on Etsy — where your gift begins not in a warehouse, but in a pair of hands.
Etsy.com/shop/CamBerghoutPottery
Handmade Gift Ideas to Inspire Your Next Thoughtful Purchase
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Hand-poured Candles
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Knitted or Crocheted Scarves, Hats & Blankets
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Hand-stitched Leather Goods
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Artisan Soaps & Bath Bombs
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Wooden Cutting Boards or Utensils
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Handwoven Baskets
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Embroidery or Needlework Art
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Small-Batch Jams, Honey or Hot Sauce
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Hand-painted Ornaments
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Letterpress or Handcrafted Stationery
From the earth to your hand, connections created, forged to withstand.