Where To Get Handmade Gifts With Village Crafters Gone?

Village Crafters closed over the weekend after a decade of selling handmade items and providing space to artisans notes the Castro Valley Forum.

As Patch reported in August when word of the looming closure began to circulate, owner Renee Pettiti said the tough economy and downtown roadwork forced the shut down.

Village Crafters wasn't just a store: it was an ecosystem for local crafters and shoppers who valued handmade items.

Several dozen vendors rented space inside the store to sell their wares.

"We're just close-knit, almost family," sewing specialist Judy Fabris told Patch in August. 

Vendor Mary Anne Milnek, who sold purses and totes, told Patch that she hoped to sell her bags at Fred's & Sons Flowers off Hesperian Boulevard.

The closure will make this a tough holiday season, not only for the craft-people who earn a living with their hands, but for shoppers who prefer to give their handmade gifts.

Where will you go to sell or buy handmade items? Craft fair organizers: announce your sale in Patch for free. Email the editor to learn how.

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