Handloom vs Handicraft : Are they the same thing ?

“Handloom” and “handicraft” get used almost interchangeably in everyday conversation — and on a lot of product listings too — but they’re not actually the same thing. One refers to a specific method of making fabric, while the other is a much broader category that includes far more than textile alone. Here’s a clear breakdown of what separates the two, and where they genuinely overlap.

What Is Handloom?

Handloom refers specifically to fabric woven on a manually operated loom, as opposed to an industrial power loom. It’s a textile production method — nothing more, nothing less. The term describes how the fabric is made: by hand-operated equipment, with a weaver manually controlling the thread passes, rather than automated machinery doing it at high speed.

Handloom fabric can be cotton, silk, wool, or other natural fibers, and can be plain, printed, or embroidered afterward. The word “handloom” only tells you about the weaving process — it doesn’t automatically mean the fabric is printed by hand, dyed naturally, or embellished in any particular way.

What Is Handicraft?

Handicraft is a much broader term that refers to any object made by hand, using traditional skills and tools, rather than mass-produced industrial methods. This includes an enormous range of categories — pottery, woodwork, metalwork, embroidery, block printing, jewelry making, basket weaving, and yes, handloom weaving too.

In other words, handloom is technically one specific type of handicraft, not a separate or unrelated category. Handicraft as a term simply doesn’t specify what’s being made or how — it covers everything from a hand-carved wooden toy to a hand-embroidered shawl to a handwoven saree.

So, How Do They Actually Relate?

Here’s the simplest way to think about it:

Handicraft is the broad umbrella category — anything genuinely handmade using traditional skill.
Handloom is one specific technique that falls under that umbrella — specifically, hand-operated fabric weaving.

This means all handloom fabric can accurately be called a handicraft, but not all handicraft is handloom. A hand block printed piece of fabric, for example, might be printed on either handloom or power-loom base cloth — the printing is a handicraft technique, but whether the base fabric itself is “handloom” is a completely separate question.

Why the Distinction Actually Matters

This distinction matters more than it seems, especially when you’re buying textile online:

A product can be a genuine handicraft without being handloom. A hand block printed bedsheet made on machine-woven (power-loom) cotton is still a genuine handicraft product — the printing was done by hand — but it isn’t technically “handloom” fabric, since the base weaving was done by machine.

A product can be handloom without additional handicraft work. Plain, undyed handloom cotton fabric, with no printing, embroidery, or dyeing done afterward, is handloom, but wouldn’t typically be described further as a decorated “handicraft” piece beyond the weaving itself.

Sellers sometimes use the terms loosely, or interchangeably, to sound more “authentic.” It’s worth asking directly if you’re unsure whether a specific product’s fabric is handloom, or if only the printing/embellishment on top of machine-made fabric is handmade — both are legitimate, but they’re not the same claim, and the price difference between the two can be significant.

A Quick Example to Make It Clear

Take a handblock printed cotton kurti as an example:

• If the base cotton fabric was woven on a handloom, and then hand block printed — this is both handloom and a handicraft product (two separate handmade processes combined).
• If the base cotton fabric was machine-woven (power-loom), but then hand block printed — this is a genuine handicraft product (the printing is handmade), but the fabric itself is not handloom.
• If the fabric is machine-woven and machine/screen printed — this isn’t handloom, and arguably not a handicraft either, since no part of the process involved genuine hand-based skill.

How to Ask the Right Question When Buying

Instead of just asking “is this handmade?” — which can be answered honestly in multiple different ways — it helps to ask more specific questions:

• “Is the base fabric handloom or power-loom?”
• “Is the print/embroidery hand-done, or is it machine/screen printed?”
• “Which part of this product is actually handmade — the weaving, the printing, or both?”

A seller who can answer these clearly and specifically is generally more trustworthy than one who simply says “yes, it’s handmade” without elaborating.

FAQs

Is handloom fabric always handmade?
Yes, “handloom” specifically means the fabric was woven on a manually operated loom, which is itself a handmade process, distinct from power-loom (machine) weaving.

Is all handicraft made from handloom fabric?
No. Handicraft is a broad category covering anything genuinely handmade — pottery, embroidery, block printing, woodwork, and more. Handloom weaving is just one specific type of handicraft; many handicraft techniques (like hand block printing) can be applied to either handloom or power-loom fabric.

Can a product be hand block printed but not handloom?
Yes. If the base fabric was machine-woven (power-loom) but then printed using traditional wooden blocks by hand, the printing itself is a genuine handicraft technique, even though the underlying fabric isn’t handloom.

Why does it matter whether fabric is handloom or just hand-printed?
Because they represent different amounts of handmade work and typically different price points. Handloom weaving plus hand block printing generally costs more than hand block printing alone on machine-made fabric — knowing the difference helps you understand what you’re actually paying for.

About Besign Unique

Besign Unique is a Rajasthan-based textile brand bringing authentic handwoven and handblock printed fabric to women’s wear, men’s wear, bags, and home furnishing. Every piece is made in collaboration with local artisan clusters across Rajasthan, using natural and skin-friendly fabrics — with most designs open to customization, and OEM/ODM support available for bulk and private-label buyers.

Explore our collection at besignunique.com, or reach out to us directly for custom orders and wholesale enquiries.