Handmade gifts a draw at annual craft show

The 34th annual Show-Me Crafters Fall Craft Show drew in hundreds of visitors looking to get ahead on purchasing handmade Christmas gifts Saturday.

Jeana Eckhoff, of Cole Camp, picked up “little gifts” for friends during her third year attending the show. Eckhoff even found a keychain for a man to give at a gift exchange she plans to attend.

“I wanted something different,” Eckhoff said. “It’s seems a little more personal.”

As customers shopped, Theresa Kramps, of Kansas City, and her two sisters continued to create their potato bags.

“It’s one of my best sellers,” Kramps said.

The bags are stitched in multiple designs and can be used to microwave a potato in under 10 minutes.
Sisters, Barbara Stock, of Springfield and Amy Lee, of Lawrence, Kan., both help Kramps with pricing, selling, cutting and sewing.

“We meet in a common place, the craft shows,” Stock said.
Kramps and her sisters also sell tree skirts, activity bags and pot holders and the women said it is a fun time to get together.

Lynne Kroeger, of Smithton, sold five of her personalized baskets in less than an hour at the show.

Kroeger began her home-based business in 1999. She makes personalized baskets with themes from baby showers to coffee and spa baskets.

“I do just about every occasion you can think of,” Kroeger said.

Sharon Cary, of Sedalia, usually sells her ceramic works at the show, but for the first time she offered something different.

“It’s recycled jeans,” Cary said.

Cary uses every part of a pair of jeans to make aprons, purses, quilts and totes.

“I have a husband that puts holes in the knees of pants and I hate to throw them away so I got creative,” Cary said.

Some of the jeans are purchased from Open Door and others come from family members.

“I keep expenses down and help the community,” Cary said.

Cary wore one of her jean aprons as she told shoppers about her products.
Pam Roth, of Pilot Grove, had to have her granddaughter, Beth Reuter, help her carry the bags of items she purchased during the show.

“I like the homemade things. It has a personal touch,” Roth said.

Roth picked up Christmas gifts for her co-workers and Beth purchased an early Christmas gift for herself.
“I got myself a Mizzou blanket,” Beth said.

The two usually go shopping together and even though their hands were nearly full, they still wanted to keep looking.

“This is always a very good craft show,” Roth said.