Holidays and crafts go together like family dinners and residual bad feelings. On a lighter (though related note) there are plenty of events going on in Toronto throughout the month of December that allow for exploration of one-of-a-kind holiday gifts. With a focus on local and handmade, these events are the places to pick up silkscreen totes or natural beauty products, and (for the ambitious) even where to learn to emboss your own greeting cards. What to write, on the other hand, is all up to you. Here are some upcoming craft events in Toronto.

Handmade Holiday
Think handmade accessories, screen printed greeting cards, original art, and best of all--mystery loot bags at the door. That's right, unique crafts and veiled mystery. The Handmade Holiday craft show put on by Kid Icarus has it all, plus raffles and super-cheap admission ($2, or $5 with mystery bag). Handmade Holiday will be held December 3 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the St. Stephen-in-the-Fields.

City of Craft
City of Craft is another craft sale that also hosts workshops and on- and offsite installations. The latter category includes a "Dear Toronto" letter-writing event at the Knit Cafe, a photobooth at Thrush Holmes Empire (with props!), and a StreetKnit pop-up to drop of handknits for the homeless. Most of the 40-50 vendor tables will be set up at Thrush Holmes Empire and The Theatre Centre on Queen West, on December 10 from 11a.m. to 6 p.m. and December 11 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

401 Artisans Marketplace
401 Artisans Marketplace is a veteran on the Toronto craft scene, held this December 8-11 for the 19th straight year. And somehow, handmade feather earrings are still popular. This year's event features vendors including ChocoSol, Opal Owl, and SimpleSmiles, and will be held at 401 Richmond as part of its FROLIC open house. Free admission.

Eat. Live. Shop: Holiday DIY Workshops
Nothing to do with Eat, Pray, Love and certainly no Julia Roberts around. The Eat. Live. Shop DIY workshops are hosted throughout the month of December, where you can learn to emboss your holiday gift cards, create brass chain bracelets, and make your own stocking using recycled sweaters. The workshops are $35 each and will be held at Bicyclette and Re:Style Studio.

Movies & Makers at the Fox Theatre
A local and handmade crafts sale, this time, in the Beaches. The Movies & Makers sale will be held at the Fox Theatre on December 17, offering wares by both experienced and novice local merchants. Open from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Toronto Young Designers Holiday
First brunch, then shopping. The Toronto Young Designers Holiday craft sale at L'Ouvrier is open for scones and smoked bacon, plus one-of-a-kind jewellery, art, accessories, and decor. Held on December 11 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the event is free and features local vendors including D is for Ducky and Spoon Studios.

L O C O for L O C A L // wobbley POP up SHOP
Better than " CRAZY for CRAFTS" or "GUNG HO for HOMEMADE," "LOCO for LOCAL" is a Muttonhead pop-up featuring breakdancing Santas, limited-edition sweatshirts, and chili chocolate. Consider it Christmas for badasses. The event, which, of course, will offer lots of local crafts, clothes, and art, will be held from December 8 to 11 at Naco Gallery.

Shop@Elevator
Featuring the work of about 50 artists, Shop@Elevator is a pop-up shop run out the Elevator Art Lab, a new artist-run space that specializes in craft-based work on Niagara Street near King and Bathurst. Here you'll find a wide variety of original artwork, crafts, and design objects from local artists — think everything from olive trays to handmade jewellery. The pop-up runs until December 23rd, with an open house at the studio on the 10th. Open Wednesday to Friday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. and on weekends from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Photo by sweetie pie press on Flickr