Okay, okay…Shakespeare’s contemplation aside…what do you think? I bet we all have views and opinions on Temu; good, bad, ugly and all that – but do you use it?? I’m not going to touch on ethics and politics here because there are people out there much more intelligent than me who could talk me under the table and I’m not here to judge or lay out rules – I’m here for the craft-work and the community, and that’s it.
So to answer my own question, yes, I use Temu.
This is about as controversial as I get in that I pondered covering this subject at great length – should I mention it? Will it dissuade people from wanting to read beyond post number three? Is it necessary for me to talk about it?
In brief, I think the answers to all three questions are yes and no. Ultimately I am talking about it because I am honest and I know there will be more people out there using Temu for the same reasons as me – money.
I discovered Temu late in 2023. I remember why I first looked on there. I had purchased a ½” ruler from a big brand in a big craft shop to help me with one of my projects. It cost me £8. Somehow the algorithms found this out and showed me an advert for a set of 3 of these on Temu for £1.20. And yes, I purchased them.
After this I made decisions. I wanted to prioritise beautiful quality designer fabrics, patterns, books and threads; these were my non-negotiables. Where I was willing to compromise and experiment was with a few select tools and notions. An example of this compromise was that when it comes to a safe and reliable rotary cutter and mat it is well-known brands all the way for me, whereas the rotary blades I bought from Temu impressed me so much with their razor-sharp precision that I stocked up and consider them a wise investment. After a bit of research I noticed quite a lot – not all – of the tools and notions I had previously been buying came from China anyway, so I figured I would become my own ‘middle woman’!
Fast forward a few years and this ⇑ is a good representation of my Temu stash. It’s helped me acquire the extra tools and notions I had wanted which has enabled my fabric stash to grow – win win!
Because I was selective with what I purchased I have quality items. When I first bought the continuous zips they were relatively hard to find in the UK market. I had seen some for sale here and there in 1 metre lengths but I wanted the 5 metre lengths I knew Temu would afford me. All the rulers I own are accurate, the zips are strong and the scissors are sharp!
Another item I’ve discovered is the vinyl, this is really good quality and I’ve used it a few times now.
I did try Temu fabric because I was curious. The few small bits I ordered were thin and not of good quality but they have slotted very nicely into a few smaller projects and I even tried a new technique with one little pack – it took the fear of failure out of the situation because I wasn’t using anything expensive and it actually turned out pretty in the end!
I made a project bag for a friend at Christmas for when we exchanged our ‘Merry Temu Christmas’ parcels! We had a budget and enjoyed a little shopping spree each before exchanging and unwrapping, and instead of presenting my gifts to her in a giftbag I made my friend this boxed zipper pouch…
It became the first project I made on my new-to-me industrial sewing machine so I had a lot of fun making it and because it’s all Temu fabric – inside and out – you can’t really tell the quality isn’t great. We both love cats so I knew she’d appreciate the lining print in this!
The zip was a pink colour gradient so I knew it needed to be used in a bigger project to see as much of the gradient as possible. I’d say the bag is a good 16″ in length, I never measured it though before I gifted it!
So what do you think? Have you purchased from Temu and made anything with your supplies? Has this post made you consider Temu? Are you staunchly opposed? All answers are valid and I’m curious to see what you think, I just ask that you consider why a person might buy from them in the first place.
Happy stitching everyone x
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