Waste Not, Want a Lot? Eco-Sustainable Shopping at Handmade Arcade By Jolene Miklas Schneider Struggling to reconcile your eco-sustainable sensibilities with your mile-long holiday shopping list? We can help. Shop Handmade Arcade to find new and returning makers committed to upcycling, zero waste, and sustainable giving. Show up for our planet — and someone you care about — with gifts like … A statement bag. Fashion-forward and earth-friendly, MF Bags makes bags for every person’s everyday needs. Pick from low-key neutrals or bold, colorful pieces to carry a laptop, food, or day-to-day essen ..read more

Warmest wishes, weirdos! We’re here for the freaks, the geeks, the free spirits, and the eccentrics. By Jolene Miklas Schneider Everyone knows weirdos make the world more fun — just don’t try shopping for them at the mall. If you’re looking for edgy and unexpected holiday gifts, we got you. If your holiday shopping list includes a music fan, a grunge girl, a metal maniac, or a punk rocker who’s hard to please, give RPM Treasures a spin. They’re returning with handbags made from original 33 RPM vinyl records and album covers. We could tell you about the adjustable handles, leather (or glitter ..read more

Now For Some Me Time: Gifts to Pamper Yourself and Your Loved Ones By Jolene Miklas Schneider Hi! How are you? Climate crisis, global inflation, nail-biting election season, and lingering pandemic aside, you good? Listen: sh*t’s stressful right now! We get it. But here’s something good you can do. Support small businesses and independent makers with gifts that comfort you and your loved ones. Pamper yourself or someone you care about with … A shower steamer. Put one of Wren & Rita’s bad boys at the bottom of your shower and bliss out in a eucalyptus, mint, and menthol-scented escape. Whe ..read more

If You’ve Got Pawprints on Your Heart: Holiday Shopping For Pet By Jolene Miklas Schneider This holiday season, there’s one family member who won’t bring up politics at the dinner table. They’ll never pressure you for grandkids and they always think your cooking is top notch. Drama? Nada. They love you just the way you are. We’re talking about your favorite family members: your pets. So don’t forget to get them a little something when you’re doing your holiday shopping this year. May we suggest … A suave turtleneck. What better way to profess your love for your pet than with matching outfits ..read more

Free Make-and-Take crafts Holiday Card Making with Artist & CraftsmanCreate a unique holiday card using small custom-made stamps, markers, and different-sized blank cards and envelopes. DIY Holiday Lights + Stamped Wrapping Paper with ASSEMBLECreate paper garlands with LEDs for holiday decorations and learn basic printmaking with stamps and colorful inks. Mixed Media Zine Making with BatCat PressUsing repurposed materials like old book pages, maps, and magazines alongside an array of art supplies, you’ll create and walk away with a one-of-a-kind mixed-media zine. Hand Embr ..read more

Handmade Arcade is excited to partner again with EdCorps – welcoming nine of their entrepreneurial classroom.  Since 2014, EdCorps, powered by Real World Scholars, has started 600 student-run businesses engaging over 50k students using entrepreneurship as a vehicle for real-world learning. Across the K-12 spectrum, hundreds of classrooms in over 40 states have used the EdCorps platform to start a student-run business and connect student learning to the world in radically authentic ways.  Say hello to our new and returning EdCorps Classrooms . . . Soarmania and ShinePenn Hills Charter ..read more

We can’t wait for you to meet the ten individual youth makers selling at the Holiday Market!  Handmade Arcade is dedicated to extending the learning and making opportunities of our popular market to youth makers. The youth maker accelerator program provides a free vendor space, money for materials and event day expenses, three educational workshops, professional maker mentors, and more! AND WITHOUT FURTHER ADO INTRODUCING . . .  deseesed Noah, age 19, Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School Follow Noa @thedeseesed Noa is a budding fashion designer and illustrator. Using his photo ..read more

With over 200 makers participating in the Handmade Arcade virtual and in-person market, we wanted to let you know who the makers are that you will find ONLY only this holiday weekend. Visit the linked category and scroll through. You don’t want to miss these makers! Accessories BicycleTrash LaVerne Kemp Studios Little Birdie Design Studio Scarves by Jennifer Second Season Mittens Adult Clothing Refresh Collective Print and Embroidery Shop Artwork Berkley Illustration Rachel Dennison Art Squirrel Tacos everyday balloons print shop MHeld Illustration Print Witchery Sadly Harmless Midnight H ..read more

Every Handmade Arcade veteran knows the feeling: the thrill of the hunt. You can attend year after year and still find something you never expected. Whether you’re shopping for yourself or the person who has everything, you’ll want to check out some of this year’s most original items, like … Cyndi Lauper earrings: For the folks who just wanna have fun, show your true colors with punk and 80’s-inspired jewelry and accessories by AANiMALL. Local maker Eva Stulc combines high-quality epoxy resin, glitter, textiles, and neon paint with lots of love for Siouxsie Sioux, Motörhead, Miss She Bop herse ..read more

Maybe you’ve never missed a Handmade Arcade market. Or maybe this will be your very first time. Either way, we’d like to introduce you to a few of the first-time vendors and their amazing wares! This year’s market is host to 83 makers who have never sold at a Handmade Arcade Holiday Market at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Hey, rock star! Ellie Tobin burst onto the scene in 2016 with edgy, vibrant designs made for your showstopper moment. She combines playful upcycling with unexpected textiles to create dazzling art-to-wear garments and accessories. We love her dreamy and daring Sto ..read more