6 cool Brooklyn-made things on Etsy

Etsy represents the best and worst of the world’s creativity, or lack thereof (old doesn’t equal kitschy). With the magic of the internet, you can buy original handmade crafts and vintage treasures from all over the world. It’s a beautiful thing, but we at Brokelyn want to support our local artisans—especially those who go beyond the Scrabble tile cufflinks, things with owls on them, and stuff made out of tree bark that have become ubiquitous at craft fairs everywhere. With V-Day a week away, but really just because, we scoured Etsy for some Brooklyn-made merch that caught our fancy.

Papercraft bike model kit: These model bikes have a really neat geometrical look to them, which makes for a model-building project that you DON’T want to leave at your dad’s house. They come in a few sizes, and they would probably look pretty spiffy with some acrylic paint!

Half Moon Sculptured Gold Earring
These unique, yet yet refined earrings make us want to create an outfit around them. Probably with a tee-shirt that has pictures of recently deceased celebrities on it. They would be appropriate for the hipster who thinks she has everything cool already to your aunt who still keeps it funky.

Kitchen Conversions Poster: Never get your precious Apple product dirty again when, while mid-kneadning, you realize that you don’t know how many teaspoons are in ¼ of a cup. The convergence of elegance and practicality will rival any Google-channeling digital platform.

Faces of Death 2011 Tee-shirt Now you don’t have to choose which celebrity who died last year will grace your tee-shirt! Everyone from Andy Rooney to Osama Bin Laden to Nate Dog is beautifully illustrated on a tasteful cream-colored background. Yes, there is also a 2010 edition.

New York State Cutting Board: This cutting board serves the dual purpose of giving you a surface to cut veggies that isn’t your kitchen table, and reminding you that most of New York is taken up by places that are not Brooklyn.

Passion Necklace: Earrings too understated? For your own artistic inspiration rather than, say, your shopping list, we present to you a $2,800 necklace that apparently functions as a shirt. If this doesn’t want to make you want to tangle up all of your jewelry with your mom’s and sell it for enough money to to settle your credit card debt, it’s hard to say what will.

Does anyone have anything Brooklyn-made to add to the mix? Don’t forget to check out Etsy’s FREE Valentine-making party tonight, from 5-8pm at their HQ on 55 Washington St. (Suite 712). The first 25 people to check in get an Etsy totebag!