Clawson Christmas Craft Show Welcomes New Crafters This Year

Linda Clapsadle of Livonia likes to make life easier for pet owners.

With two cats of her own, she understands the hassle of keeping up with food and water bowls that pets often flop around the floors.

So two years ago, Clapsadle started designing pet dinner tables, which are elevated wooden tables with stainless steel bowls built in them. She sells them at craft shows for $25-$45.

"They're more a labor of love than making the money," Clapsadle said.

Clapsadle is one of the new crafters this year at the 27th annual Christmas in Clawson Craft Show, which will be held from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday at . Craft organizers are expecting 149 crafters this year from throughout Michigan and beyond. Organizer Betsy O'Brien said this is more crafters than the show has seen in previous years.

"We are pretty happy about it," O'Brien said.

The show usually attracts 1,500-1,700 attendees each year, O'Brien said. Admission costs $2 per person, and all proceeds will benefit the PTAs at , , , and .

Saturday's event will also feature food and a raffle for gift baskets.

Unique crafts offer utility, beauty

Lake Orion resident Bill Olson, who refurbishes wine boxes and converts them into storage containers as home accessories, will participate in the event for the first time. He collects wine boxes from stores, friends and other resources and then applies maple, cherry or oak stains. He then adds a lid with hinges to each box.

"There’s a lot of investigating and persuasion to find these boxes," Olson said.

Olson said his customers have used the boxes to store items such as remotes, phone chargers and wine corks. He said customers say they place the boxes on their coffee tables, kitchen counters and other areas of the home. The boxes come in different sizes and cost $35-$50.

Olson said he's been designing the boxes for the past three years.

"I do it more so just for the fun," Olson said. "It's just the camaraderie of selling them and going to the shows and talking to people."

Knitters are also featured at the craft show in Clawson.

Ruth McVean of Bloomfield Hills said she will sell crocheted scarves and necklaces for the first time at the craft show. She's been knitting and crocheting for years and heard about the craft show in Clawson through a crafterss magazine.

McVean said the necklaces cost $10 and scarves cost $40.

Parking for the craft show will be available in the high school parking lot with additional parking at , where free shuttle service to the craft show will be available. Visit the event website for more information.