Just in time for Holiday shopping, the DIY Trunk Show gives you an alternative for Holiday shopping. In fact, it brings 130 artisans right to Edgewater’s doorstep with over half of the participants having items priced $25 or under. The event takes place on November 22 at the Broadway Armory (5917 N. Broadway) for one day only 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The event is free and open to the public and has items that are all made by Midwest artisans and include just about everything including jewelry, body care products, art, clothes, pet toys, paper goods and much more.

DIY believes that both getting and giving a specially made artisan gift adds to the moment. They say on their website, “To know that something was made by hand, by someone who cares that you like it, makes that object much more enjoyable. And it makes you feel less lonely when you realize that you know the name of the person who made the bar of soap you use, the earrings you wore when you met that special someone, or the scarf that kept you from freezing while you waited for the train.”

DIY is now entering its eleventh year and has had a colorful and successful history. Started in 2003 by Amy Carlton and Cinnamon Cooper the show flourished year over year until the duo realized they needed to find someone to handle its growing popularity. So they turned to Chicago Craft Mafia who took over the DIY show in 2009. In 2011 they decided that the increasing attendance needed a larger space, thus they moved the event from Pulaski Park to our very own Broadway Armory. In 2013, the reigns were again shifted to another entity, Blue Buddha Boutique in hopes they could start running the event as a prosperous business.

The producers of DIY want you to rethink how you spend your dollars. They say, “Craft is political. We’re not just trying to sell stuff. We’re trying to change the world. We want everyone to rethink corporate culture and consumerism.”