Today is Small Business Saturday, an annual event created by the master minds at American Express to help promote small businesses and stimulate local economies while (hopefully) using your American Express card to buy your holiday gifts.  Regardless of their true motives, American Express has helped to bring global attention to the vital roles small businesses play in local and national economies.  According to Forbes.com, there are almost 28 million small businesses in the United States and over 22 million of those are run by individuals who are self employed. 52% of all small businesses are home-based and over 50% of the working population (a whopping 120 million individuals) works in a small business. Not surprisingly, small businesses have generated over 65% of the net new jobs since 1995. (Forbes) 

Small businesses are the foundations of our economy, so in honor of Small Business Saturday, we'd like to share a few of our favorite handmade small businesses on Instagram. We think these small businesses do an amazing job of using their social media pages to inspire creativity, share their skills, and frankly, just to have a little fun and share a little joy.  So please take a moment to check out their pages, you'll be glad you did!

 Pen and Thimble

This full time mom makes some of the most adorable baby bibs, blankets, and children's toys on Instagram.  We love her fabric choices and the way she carefully packages each order like a gift with a personalized message tag welcoming baby or thanking the customer.

https://penandthimble.etsy.com

http://instagram.com/penandthimble

Lu and Ed

This creative mom recycles fabrics from clothes and blankets into fantastic fuzzy monster plushies and Monstor storage bags.  Each monster and Monstor is unique and one of a kind and with the help of her super fun Instagram photos, they sell out fast!

http://luanded.com 

http://instagram.com/lu_and_ed  

Inedible Jewelry

These talented and creative sisters create some of the most delicious jewelry we've ever seen.  Their Instagram account will have you drooling in no time.

http://www.inediblejewelry.com 

http://instagram.com/inediblejewelry   

Fancy Free Finery

This pre-school teacher and art educator makes some of the most beautiful flower crowns we've ever seen.  Her Instagram posts show you every step in her creative process and showcases the final products on some of the most adorable little customers out there.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/fancyfreefinery

http://instagram.com/fancyfreefinery

 Knits For Life

This creative small business owner is a master yarn bomber!  Her small company recently completed yarn bombs at two of Old Navy's flagship stores!  

http://knitsforlife.com

http://instagram.com/knitsforlife