This is a complete reference of everything that is prohibited or restricted on Handmade.com. It is intended to be read alongside the Handmade.com Seller Guidelines, which cover full platform policy, seller eligibility, and what is permitted. Some restrictions in this document are required by our payment processor; others reflect platform policies.

SECTION 01

Prohibited Items

The following items may never be listed or sold on Handmade.com, regardless of how they are made, presented, or described.

• AI-generated content used as the primary creative element
  → See Section 2 below for full details.
• Applied graphics on commercially produced, non-handmade blanks
  → See Section 3 below for full details.
• Prohibited food and consumable items
  → See Section 4 below for full details.
• Prohibited children’s products
  → See Section 5 below for full details.
• Taxidermy, preserved animals, and prohibited animal products
  → See Section 6 below for full details.
• Mystery boxes and grab bags
  Not permitted at this time. This policy is under review and may be updated in a future release.
• Sex toys
• Tobacco products
• Products containing cannabis or derived substances, including but not limited to CBD, THC, and CBG
• Guns, fireworks, or other explosives
• 3D printed weapons
• Digital-only products
  All listings must result in a tangible physical item being delivered to the buyer.
• Pornographic content
  → See Section 7 below for full details.
• Hate speech and prohibited language
  → See Section 7 below for full details.
• Listings funding prohibited organizations
  → See Section 7 below for full details.

SECTION 02

AI-Generated Content

Handmade.com is built on the belief that every item sold here is a product of genuine human skill, creativity, and effort. The following are not permitted under any circumstances:

• Any visual artwork, illustration, or design substantively generated by an AI tool
  Includes Midjourney, DALL·E, Stable Diffusion, Adobe Firefly, and similar tools, whether sold as a physical product or in any other form.
• Physical products featuring AI-generated art or designs as the primary creative element
• Physical prints of AI-generated work
• Any item where AI was used to substantively create the final design, even if the seller made manual edits or alterations afterward e.g., An artist who generates an image in Midjourney, prints it on canvas, and sells it as wall art — not permitted.

SECTION 03

Applied Graphics on Commercial Blanks

The following are not permitted when applied to commercially produced, non-handmade blanks:

• Vinyl decals or vinyl graphics as the primary design element on store-bought items
  Includes mugs, tumblers, shirts, signs, and similar commercially produced items.
• Print-on-demand (POD) products of any kind
  Items printed and/or shipped by a third-party automated service, including Printful, Printify, Redbubble, and similar platforms.
• Sublimation printing on commercial blanks
  Designs heat-transferred onto store-bought products.
• Heat transfer vinyl (HTV) applied as the primary decoration on commercial apparel or accessories
• Direct-to-garment (DTG) printing on commercially sourced blanks
• Screen-printed items produced by a third-party printer on non-handmade blanks

SECTION 04

Prohibited Food & Consumable Items

The following food and consumable items may not be listed regardless of how they are prepared or described.

• Meat and meat products of any kind
  Includes raw, fresh, cured, dried, or processed meats. Jerky, biltong, salami, and similar products are not permitted at this time. Cured and dried meats are part of a planned future policy expansion.
• Perishable food or beverages requiring refrigeration or freezing prior to opening
  e.g., Fresh baked goods, dairy products, fresh juices, raw eggs.
  
• Items shelf-stable before opening but requiring refrigeration after opening
  e.g., Kimchi, fermented vegetables, sauerkraut, lacto-fermented pickles. Properly vinegar-pickled and canned goods that are shelf-stable before and after opening may qualify — contact Handmade.com if unsure.
• Hatching eggs
• Products containing alcohol as a primary ingredient
  Note: Alcohol may be used as an extraction method, e.g., herbal tinctures. Finished products may not contain alcohol as a primary ingredient.
• Products containing CBD, THC, CBG, or other cannabis-derived substances
• Products containing tobacco
• Products making medical claims
  Any product claiming to diagnose, cure, or prevent a disease or medical condition.

Handmade.com is reviewing our food and consumable policies. This list may be updated in the future.

SECTION 05

Prohibited Children’s Products

Prohibitions

• Face masks designed for or intended for children under 2 years old
• Car seats, safety seats, and car seat accessories that function as restraints
• Cribs, bassinets, cradles, and all furniture intended for infant sleeping
  Includes Moses baskets, bedside cribs, rocking bassinets, swings intended for sleeping, hanging baskets, baby boxes, and inclined sleeping products.
• Infant sleeping accessories that pose a safety risk
  Includes crib bumpers, crib rail covers that extend over the crib side, all crib liners, and pillows intended for babies to sleep on.
• Baby formula or other consumables intended for infant or toddler consumption
• Teething items of any kind

Upper-Body Outerwear with Drawstrings

Upper-body outerwear containing drawstrings for children size/age 14 and under is prohibited. Includes hoodies, sweaters, jackets, raincoats, capes, and ponchos. Permitted alternatives include snaps, buttons, hook-and-loop fasteners, and elastic.

Children’s Sleepwear & Loungewear

Loose-fitting sleepwear or loungewear for children sized 9 months through size 14, made from non-flame-resistant materials, is prohibited.

• Permitted: Tight-fitting sleepwear (any size or material), as tight fit itself is a recognized safety standard
• Permitted: Sleepwear made from inherently flame-resistant synthetic materials (such as polyester or acrylic), regardless of fit or size

Small Parts & Choking Hazards (Under Age 3)

A “small part” is defined as any part or piece that fits fully inside a cylinder 1.25” in diameter and 1–2.25” in depth. The following are prohibited for children under age 3:

• Items with loose or unaffixed small parts
• Oral use baby products decorated with small materials such as crystals, beads, or cabochons
• Baby bottle propping devices
• Teething items of any kind

All toys and play items for children must include an appropriate age recommendation in the listing description.

Children’s Jewelry (Age 12 & Under)

The following are not permitted in jewelry intended for children age 12 or younger:

• Necklaces without a breakaway clasp
• Jewelry containing magnets or magnetic stones
• Jewelry containing accessible coin or button batteries, including LED and light-up jewelry
• Jewelry containing lead, cadmium, or other heavy metals

For a full breakdown of what is permitted in children’s jewelry, see the Children’s Products section of the Seller Guidelines. [LINK PLACEHOLDER]

Lead Paint & Surface Coatings

• Federal CPSIA standard: The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act limits lead in surface coatings on children’s products to 100 parts per million (ppm) for all products intended for children under age 12.
• California Proposition 65: Imposes a stricter lead limit of 90 ppm for surface coatings. Because Handmade.com sellers ship nationally, any order shipped to a California buyer may trigger Prop 65 obligations.
• Verify all paints and coatings: Sellers should obtain safety data sheets (SDS) or certificates of compliance from their paint or coating supplier. Using paints labeled “non-toxic” is not sufficient on its own.
• Metal components must also comply: Solder and alloys used in children’s products must comply with lead content limits under CPSIA and Prop 65.

SECTION 06

Prohibited Animal Products

Taxidermy & Preserved Animals

A preserved or mounted animal is not a handmade item in the context of our platform, regardless of how skillfully the preservation was performed. The following are not permitted:

• Mounted or preserved animals of any kind

Includes full mounts, shoulder mounts, and display pieces.

• Freeze-dried or preserved animals or animal parts sold as decorative objects
• Wet specimens or animals preserved in liquid for display

Always Prohibited — Regardless of Use

The following are prohibited regardless of how the item is made or presented:

• Live or fresh animals
• Endangered species

Items crafted from species designated as threatened or endangered under the US Endangered Species Act.

• Cat and dog parts or pelts
  Prohibited in accordance with US Federal Law.
• Ivory
  Includes products derived from any ivory-producing animal, including tusks, elk ivory, fossilized ivory, and wooly mammoth ivory.
• Human or animal derived biological substances

Includes anatomical waste, biohazardous material, and body parts.

SECTION 07

Prohibited Content & Community Standards

The following content may never appear in listings, titles, tags, descriptions, shop media, or seller profiles.

Hate Speech & Prohibited Language

Content that promotes hatred, discrimination, or harm toward any individual or group is never permitted. This includes content that demeans, threatens, or attacks people based on:

• Race, ethnicity, or national origin
• Religion or religious beliefs
• Gender or gender identity
• Sexual orientation
• Disability or health status
• Age
• Immigration or citizenship status

This list is not exhaustive. Any content a reasonable person would consider hateful, dehumanizing, or designed to harass or intimidate will be removed.

Prohibited Sexual Content

• Nudity depicting minors
• Pornographic content
  Printed or visual materials that explicitly depict sex acts or erotic behavior for sexual arousal, or materials marketed and described as pornographic.
• Genitalia or explicit sexual content
  Explicit nudity in listing photos using human models
• Sexual language referencing familial relationships in any listing content, titles, tags, or descriptions

Charitable Activities — Prohibited Organizations

• Listings that fund organizations supporting weapons and military activities
• Listings that fund organizations endorsing terrorist, extremist, or hate groups

Handmade.com reserves the right to take legal action against sellers who misrepresent their products. Handmade.com also reserves the right to revoke selling privileges at any time and for any reason. We may update these policies at our discretion. When in doubt, contact Handmade.com before listing.

Last updated: May 2026