5 Handmade Businesses You Need to Visit at Pike Place Market

This blog was written by Seattle lifestyle and travel blogger Terumi Pong of @helloterumi. Terumi recently spent time exploring the Handmade Craft Market at Pike Place Market. Read about the five handmade businesses that caught her eye. Explore all the businesses in the Craft Market using our Market Directory. 

This time of year, with holiday markets popping up all over the city, sometimes we forget we actually have a ginormous year-round Handmade Craft Market in Seattle at Pike Place Market.

The Handmade Craft Market houses nearly 163 rotating local artisans with strict guidelines and screening for selling their products at Pike Place Market. These goods are made locally, and so many of these products make for fantastic and unique gifts, too.

Dark Duck Clay Shop piqued my interest on a recent trip because of Allison’s beautifully lettered Pike Place Market magnets. I love their design, and she told me that she first has to create and carve a mold to make the magnets and that the whole process takes a long time.

Learning the story behind this art made me love the magnets even more. I appreciate that the artisans who make the handmade goods at Pike Place Market are often at the Market too! It’s so fun to chat with them about the things that they make.

When I stopped by Jim Chow Jewelry, I thought his necklaces were painted at first, and his associate took the time to help me learn more about the beautiful rocks and gems he uses in his pieces.

The rocks are not painted. All the striations and designs are actually part of the stones themselves, and he specifically picks them for their intriguing patterns.

Jim Chow Jewelry has been at Pike Place Market since 1975, and if you love rocks and gems, you need to check out this table!

Seattle Candle Company drew me in with the way they displayed their candles at their booth and they have really intriguing fragrance combinations.

I especially liked the grapefruit and mint scent and I don’t think I’ve seen these two together before. I’ve been buying a lot of candles over the past couple of years (and maybe you have, too), and now I have a few almost empty candle jars. Seattle Candle Company sells a refill kit that’s perfect for this because you can refill candle jars you already have to make new candles. I think this is such a great idea and gift.

I walked by Rachel’s Raindrop Jewelry so many times because I had my eye on her little raindrop earrings, which would make a dear present for a Seattleite, and once I stopped to check the booth out further, I realized she has so many other gorgeous pieces, it is hard to choose a favorite.

This is another business that has been in the Market for decades! Someone working the booth told me it started in her family in 1979. Rachel is often at Pike Place Market on weekends if you want to meet the creator behind this jewelry, too.

Keeper’s Collective is a body care shop specializing in pure honeybee skincare. I bought a fabulous lip oil for myself, and I want to get a couple more for gifts next time.

Jillian, the founder of the company, was there when I stopped by the Market table, and she had me try their whipped body butter. Two people in front of me in line (yes, this is a popular stop) bought the Bergamot Nectarine scent.

And if you’re local and have young children, they have Kids’ Bee Camps in the summer in Snoqualmie, where kids can learn about bees and even wear bee suits!

All the Handmade Craft Market vendors have varying schedules throughout the week, so it’s important to check the Pike Place Market website to see if there is a booth you especially want to see when you visit.

You can even create a Market Day for the day you are going on the website too. When you check out a vendor on the site you can save them to your own Market Day and create an itinerary of all the Handmade Craft Market Vendors you want to visit. This is really helpful for days when you want to specifically buy from someone, like if you want to check out the vendors listed above.

Most days, though, I just wander and see what catches my eye, and inevitably, something always does. That’s the magic of the Market. We’re so lucky to have Pike Place Market here in Seattle.

Have you ever shopped at the Handmade Craft Market at Pike Place Public Market? And if so, do you have a favorite vendor?