Let’s face it, nothing in the world is worse than the mall during the holidays. Just trying to find a parking space is enough to make a girl homicidal; more than once I’ve had visions of going all monster truck and making a spot for myself. Then there’s the crowds, the lines, the unhappy overstimulated children, the headache-inducing echo of the mall and the sound of the corporate scrooges coffers overflowing.

Thankfully, there is a solution to your holiday shopping dilemma and there are a lot of perks, too. Shop handmade to stimulate the local economy, support  local artists and snag some awesome finds at reasonable prices that you can’t get anywhere else. This weekend is chock full of awesome shows to get all of your handmade holiday shopping accomplished:

Big Ass Indie III
More than 100 vendors will be represented in this department-style show. Plus, you will hear live music by The Venice Gas House Trolley on Friday night (the show’s opening night).

• Mad Art Gallery 2727 S. 12th St. Louis, MO 63118
• Friday 7:00 pm -11:00 pm
• Saturday 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
• Sunday 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Artropy
A traditional trunk show featuring the diverse work of 30 Etsy shop owners from the artist collective Show Me Etsy.

• Off Broadway 3509 Lemp Ave St. Louis MO, 63118
• Saturday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

The Cherokee Print League Holiday Sale
25 artists and printmakers comprise this indoor arts and crafts show. Screen prints, letterpress, textiles and more!

• The Firecracker Press 2838 Cherokee Street Saint Louis, MO
• Saturday 10:00 am – 7:00 pm

And even better – they’re all conveniently located by one another so you can hit all three with minimal drive time. Yay for saving gas and time!

If you do decide to brave the mall, trek to Chesterfield where it’s a little less traveled and you can stop in at The Foundrie, a temporary shop dedicated to selling the work of local artists. This great shop will run through December 31st and includes artists, designers and crafters from the St. Louis region.

Holly is the Arts & Crafts Editor for Girls Guide. You can check out her site, South City Studio, to see her handmade jewelry, read about her upcoming craft shows and learn more about her artsy self. You can contact Holly by Emailing her – holly [at] girlsguidetothegalaxy [dot] com, and you can follow her on Twitter – @southcitystudio.