Get crafty when choosing gifts this season

It's that time of year when skies turn grey, fingers turn crafty and thoughts turn toward holiday shopping. Seattle is home to scores of designers, artists and crafters, and this is never more evident than during the holidays, as craft shows large and small pop up all over town.

Since 1989, Best of the Northwest (Nov. 17 - 19 at Magnuson Park) has been a showcase for, literally, the best artists and craftspeople in the Puget Sound. A $6 admission fee gives you access to more than 300 artists, including printmakers, woodworkers, leather workers, metalsmiths, jewelry designers, glassblowers, doll makers, fiber artists and painters.

At the Phinney Ridge Neighborhood Associations' annual Winter Festival and Crafts Fair (Dec. 2-3 at the Phinney Neighborhood Center, shoppers can expect to find everything from whimsical toys to vintage-style hats and contemporary garden art. This year, some of the more unusual crafts are made from recycled materials, including handcrafted purses made from old LPs and other found materials, bead portraits on empty Altoids tins, yard art from recycled aluminum cans, cheese platters from old wine bottles and dog leashes from retired climbing ropes. In addition, the festival features entertainment including music, clogging and bellydancing.

More than 100 vendors will be selling their handmade wares – including aprons, bags made from bicycle inner tubes, urban Western wear and custom laptop sleeves – at this year's Urban Craft Uprising (Dec. 2 - 3 at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall). The show will feature a fashion show complete with giveaways and a limited number of swag bags. These accomplished crafters drew more than 4,000 shoppers last year to this unique showcase.

For five years, Seattleites have, well, hearted I Heart Rummage. A launchpad for independent crafters and designers, IHR features 45 vendors at its monthly shows at the Crocodile Café. December's show (Dec. 17) promises to be a treasure trove of last-minute and unique holiday gifts, including hand-crafted handbags, jewelry and cards, not to mention a DJ and an appearance by local children's author and illustrator Thomas Wurst.

NIKOLA DAVIDSON

Seamstress Jeanette Lown of Jaja Skirt at I Heart Rummage.

Swank, another established artists' collective, features a huge range of hand-crafted items, including hand-dyed vintage slips, jewelry, baby clothes and handbags. Upcoming shows (Nov. 19, Highland Community Center; Dec. 16, Phinney Ridge Neighborhood Association) feature the popular local design labels Bella Sisters, Queen Bee Designs and Jewelry by Banu.

A Queen Anne home transforms into a boutique during the third annual Krafthaus (Dec. 9, 10 a.m. - 8 p.m., Jamie Irene residence, 2703 Third Ave. N.). Local indie designers including K D'Angelo Jewelry, Sam Trout, Kimberly Sun, K Kelly Fine Arts, and Rouge Aromatics will be tucked throughout the house. Stop by for a glass of champagne as you shop in the comfort of someone else's home.

Crave parties are spreading to other cities, but Seattle remains the epicenter of this unique shopping experience. More than 50 local boutiques and designers, such as Aeri Designs and DeLori Designs, will fill Fremont Studios for the Crave Holiday Shopping Party (Dec. 6). For $15, shoppers will have the chance to shop as well as purchase on-the-spot spa treatments and cocktails.

"Be Jeweled – Be Fabulous" (Nov. 30, Seattle Center Pavilion, Room A) sounds indulgent and it is. This gem showcases many of the top Northwest jewelry designers – including StrawBarry Design, Sophie Gardner Jewelry, Jill Renae and more – and benefits Gilda's House in the process. Admission is $15.
More information about the event and the featured designers.

For a smaller show, drop in to the Fremont/Ballard-area Open House and Art Sale (Dec. 2, 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. and Dec. 3, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Charlotte Beall residence, 5819 Sixth Ave. N.W.), which will showcase the arts and crafts of several craft groups who meet regularly to create small art projects. Ceramics, knitted items, pillows, journals and decorative lights – not to mention surprisingly accomplished art by children – are just a few of the items you might want to snap up at this gem of a show.

Local jewelry designers Francesca Letterly & Brandy D'Onofrio host a "last Thursday" sample sale (Nov. 30, 6:30 - 9 p.m., 420 Second Ave., Studio 202) in their Pioneer Square studio. Peruse one-of-a-kind creations while sipping a glass of wine. Really, why shouldn't shopping always be this civilized?

With all the special holiday shows, don't ignore the obvious. The Fremont Market (Sundays, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.) has been the place to go for crafts, produce and flea market finds for 16 years. The artists are plentiful, with more than 30 jewelry vendors alone, making this a one-stop shopping experience. Smaller but growing, the Ballard Farmers Market (Sundays, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.) features cheeses, honeys, soaps and a select number of artists.

The Norse Home is home to the fifth annual Artists' Holiday Trunk Show (Nov. 18 - 19). The house will be chock full of arts and crafts, including exotic wood banks, pillows, note cards and preserves.

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