Residents living in Appalachia coalfields of Kentucky have few opportunities for employment, but St. Paul UMC is doing its part to help artisans in the Appalachia Mountains have some relief with the economy. In an effort to alleviate a real unemployment rate approaching 50% in the Red Bird Valley, Red Bird Mission Crafts markets a wide selection of high quality crafts for as many as 100 different crafters living within a 80-mile radius of the mission in Kentucky.

The St. Paul United Methodist Women will host a Red Bird Mission Craft Show on Saturday and Sunday, December 8 & 9, 2012 9:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.

The Craft Show will be in the Social Hall at St. Paul UMC. All are invited to attend the Craft Show and encouraged to stock up on Christmas presents.

Shoppers will find beautiful handmade fourth and fifth generation honeysuckle vine or creek willow baskets, a family tradition developed in an age when total self-sufficiency was necessary for those living in the isolated mountains. Other handmade items include colorful unscented beeswax candles, jewelry, hand-painted gourds, woven placemats, and brooms for use or decoration. Doll collectors will have an opportunity to purchase a variety of handmade dolls, and several varieties of corn shuck flowers will delight flower lovers. Wooden crafts consist of toys, games, kitchen utensils, cooling racks, stools, and benches. Adorable wood and cloth Christmas ornaments, an assortment of nativity sets, and the one-of-a-kind Santa dolls add to the colorful display.