Garrett Neese/Daily Mining Gazette Taylor Tankersley of Calumet talks with Sylvia Wentala during the Deer Hunters’ Widows Craft Show Saturday.

PORTAGE TOWNSHIP — With a little over a month until Christmas, shoppers found handmade items of all kinds at Saturday’s Deer Hunters’ Widows Craft Show.

Started in 2013, the Daily Mining Gazette’s annual event at the Copper Country Mall took last year off due to COVID-19. It was back in full force this year, with 55 vendors of everything from jewelry to knitted goods.

Jackie Tahtinen of Pelkie was back at the show with a variety of homemade items, from mittens, children’s bags, earrings and gift baskets.

“I did it two years ago, and it was great, and it was great today,” she said. “It was great to walk in and have it be back to normal.”

How much time it takes depends on the product, Tahtinen said.

“I hand-sew the mittens, so they take quite a while,” she said.

Among those browsing were Taylor Tankersley of Calumet.

“I came to support the community, the artists and craft people, and shop local,” she said.

She’d picked up a number of gifts, whether sewn goods, postcards or coffee mugs.

“It’s a really good turnout,” she said. “It’s great to see community members out supporting each other.”

The show is something Jodi Poshak of Calumet looks forward to every year. She squeezed in time Saturday between her daughter’s hockey games.

She’s already found some items, including a large Santa decoration, gnomes and some earrings.

“You never know what you’re going to find here,” she said. “It’s interesting every year.”

Danielle and Martin Cavis of Hubbell sold home-baked bread and wood burnings of everything from Finnish sayings to Packers helmets.

They got into wood burning about five or six years ago, Danielle Cavis said. They’ve worked out a good division of labor: She does letters, while he handles things like animals.

“We go get our wood and cut the wood,” she said. “It’s not laser, it’s all by hand.”

The Cavises were also returning vendors. With about an hour left, Saturday’s show had gone well, Danielle said.

“I love seeing new people,” Danielle Cavis said.