Two Sundays ago we visited the Richmond Craft Mafia’s Handmade Holiday craft show. As one friend quipped, it was like Etsy—only in real life.
We love supporting and meeting local artisans, so we went expecting to see some interesting work, run into a few people we knew, and maybe pick up a gift or two. Instead we discovered a ton of creative booths, bumped into dozens of friends and fellow bloggers, and walked away with a pile of lovely handmade finds. Almost all of our purchases ended up being treats for ourselves. Below is a snapshot of our haul after we laid everything out on the kitchen counter:
1. A print from Zou Zou’s Basement ($25). We picked a colorful mixed-media rabbit print that felt playful and bright. We almost chose an elephant, but at the last minute Clara declared, “Bunny rabbit!” and that decided it.
2. A robot coloring sheet from Turnerbots, which they included for free after we purchased several ornaments (see #5). Clara loved coloring it when we got home—she’s been obsessed with coloring lately.
3. Two small canvas paintings from Amy Keith Barney ($15 each). Although Amy mainly works in stained glass, these tiny paintings had such vivid colors that they felt perfect for Clara’s frame wall. You can’t beat original art at that price.
4. A Virginia-shaped ornament from Funnel Cloud Studio ($7). We loved the map motif and considered getting a Virginia print too, but practiced a little restraint. The artist also had Maryland and DC versions on display.
5. Ceramic letter ornaments from Turnerbots ($7 for all four), one each for Clara, me, Sherry, and Burger. Turnerbots specializes in candy-colored pottery—fun vases and whimsical robots were on display.
6. A stack of business cards from many talented vendors—every booth was worth stopping at.
7. A letterpress card from Almanac Industries (free). Their booth was one of the most engaging at the fair; you could tell they were passionate about their craft.
We also enjoyed spotting our initials in the display—Sherry’s, Burger’s, and mine were all there. If that P had been a C we would have been ecstatic.
Even when we couldn’t buy everything we loved, we tried to show appreciation by remembering and sharing standout makers. For example, MonkeyDogStudio’s “Dangerous Animal” notebooks were a highlight—each one mixes humor with bold illustration. We argued about favorites; I liked the octopus with ninja throwing stars, while Sherry cracked up at the squirrel with a pistol.
Bowerbox Press offered cheeky woodblock prints and cards with birds and playful phrases that made us smile.
Needle Noodles showed off amusing crocheted pieces like jellyfish and a ray gun, while Lazymuse Productions had crocheted ornaments and sea-inspired items like a conch shell.
The New Woodsman had an eye-catching collection of colorful faux antlers made from resin; Sherry favored the metallic gold versions.
Illegible Ink displayed a detailed, charming print of vegetables that rewarded close inspection—there was also a humorous meat-themed print on display.
There was plenty of jewelry too. Lucky Accessories had a peapod necklace that Sherry mentally bookmarked for the day we have more than one child—she thought waiting to collect more peas might be wise.
We spotted familiar vendors as well. Love Elaine had a variety of holiday fabric items; we loved a festive kids’ apron that Clara would look adorable wearing while helping make cookies.
Phil Barbato was there with whimsical stuffed animals—the kind that make kids exclaim and drag them away. We’d previously bought a print from Phil at a summer art walk, and it now hangs with two of our Handmade Holiday finds.
We hung the small collection on the short wall outside Clara’s bedroom. We thought she’d enjoy saying “Hi” and “Goodnight” to the bunny, but her favorite thing is pointing at the robots and saying “Color! Color!” which makes perfect sense.
That was our Handmade Holiday adventure—an afternoon full of creativity, friendly faces, and unique gifts. Are you planning to shop handmade this holiday season? We’d love to hear about craft fairs in your area or any handcrafted treasures you’ve discovered or purchased for loved ones.
Pssst—For more gift-related fun, Mrs. Limestone and others have been doing a Secret Santa exchange; it’s a great way to discover new makers and enjoy a bit of holiday surprise.