Handmade Galleries

I loved this store!!! I have been looking for it for a long time! My friend brought me here years ago. & I never new where it was until now, but I come to fine it’s now closed!!! I’m sooo bummed out! Dose anyone what they closed.?? Or of they plan to open an other or if they did already. ??

YES YES I know its closed but In Memorandum I just wanted to say that two years ago I found this gem and purchased twenty items for a party and many for myself. I’m so glad I did now. So unfair and such a shame that its gone. Was a wonderful, charming store. Who the frick wants to shop @Macys anyway? I don’t want to buy designer gifts that EVERYONE else has?! Was going to get bridal gifts for a friend here oh well. Now I need a new store pronto.

STORE CLOSING… don’t let this happen!!! Someone buy it please!
Wiping the tears now… this store has been a major foundation for not only Sherman Oaks but all too many a holiday and gift giving seasons. Andy and Lars have made the store more than anyone could ever imagine… it has but only a mere few days left… go in, buy, talk to the people… and if you could talk to them about owning a historical piece of the San Fernando Valley… a tradition that must continue!

I am so sad to hear that this business is closing in a few days.
I went there this past weekend for a workshop on using Precious Metal Clay and they were awesome. The prices were totally reasonable and the instructor was quite knowledgeable.
They have a huge selection of jewelry, folk art, perfume, makeup and other sundries all from local artisans. They also have a great selection of Day of the Dead skeletons (which I totally am a sucker for)
So before they close, please make a point of stopping by here.

Ever have one of those friends that you have a tough time buying for? This place will probably have something just for that person. Cute, kitschy, adorable… I can easily spend over an hour in this place looking at all the fun handmade stuff local artists create and sell.
Jewelry is a biggie here, with some really creative and beautiful pieces. Soaps, clothing, handbags, artworks, toys, leather works and so much more, it’s all here. Artists often rotate what they have on display so the items are always changing.
Service has always been helpful and friendly, during the Christmas season they had extra assistants walking around the store. Never had a problem with parking either. Handmade Galleries rocks!

I love this place, I really do. They have the cutest cards for anniversaries and birthdays. Every time I go in here I find something that I want to buy. They have cute vendors that rent space and sell their stuff, the only thing about that and the reason I gave 4 stars and not 5 is because some of the things there are just nonsense and sometimes its just over done and over crowded.
But as I said, I love it. Very unique and creative. You will always find something you want.

I’m fairly certain you can find a gift for almost anyone at Handmade. The store features pieces that are hand made by local artists. I’ve been coming here for years and they often rotate in new inventory. Jewelry, books, bags, clothing, art, and random knick knacks. There is no shortage of stuff to admire at this large, organized store. It’s on Ventura Blvd, so metered street parking is really your only option. There are a ton of restaurants and stores on the same street block so pop into Handmade if you have some time to browse.

I love surprises, I love getting ideas, and I love Handmade Galleries! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked into this store feeling kinda blah, maybe someone had just cut me off as I tried to get a parking spot or some uppity a-​hole gave me attitude at one of those chi-​chi stores, and then I walk into Handmade Galleries and it’s an INSTANT SMILE.
Whether it’s the cleverness of a display or one of those NOT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY AND LIGHTEN UP WE ALL NEED A LAUGH FROM TIME TO TIME (I’m talking to you crafty artsy purists) novelty items, I get a mood boost.
I live a good hour away from this store and I’ll make the pilgrimage because I know I’ll find something perfect for any occasion. From my kid to my 80 year old mom, I always find something clever, witty, original, and beautiful here.
The staff is friendly and always greets me to make me feel comfortable. It’s so refreshing when so many other shops make you feel like they’re going out of their way to remind you how uncool you are. Piss off haters, I love me some Handmade Galleries!

Love this place
handmade crafts, art, paintings, jewelry, tchotchkeys (sp?), misc indie fun stuff.

This is a neat store, on Ventura near a bunch of other stores that go in and out of business… but I wonder what keeps such a large store still in business. The concept is great– artists and artisans rent space and sell their merchandise. Since it’s revolving the displays always change. You can definitely find something unique, but it’ll be expensive, and the customer service isn’t so great. There are never that many customers here. I do like it but it could be better.

!!!YOU ARE A small BUSINESS. GET YOUR SH*T TOGETHER!!!
ARTISTS!!! STOP RENTING SPACE HERE AND FIND SOMEPLACE THAT CARES TO ENCOURAGE INTEREST/​PURCHASE OF YOUR ITEMS.
As an experienced jewelry buyer at larger luxury retailers (Barney’s, Tiffany, etc.) AND smaller boutiques (Chrome Hearts, Ari Soffer, Maxfield, etc.), I can say that the Handmade employees sure have an unwarranted sense of superiority.
You DO sell handcrafted items made by skilled artisans, but you ALSO sell:
–silly-​novelty-​naughty-​junk
–eastern-​influenced-​typical-​airhead-​woman nonsense
–children’s toys
So, descend from your cloud of self-​importance and have a little fun. This is most certainly NOT high-​end retail.
So wha’haaaappen? On 5÷18÷12, about 15 minutes before the store was to close, I came in with my GF to buy her WHATEVER she wanted (her B-​Day coming up), but the «vibe» in there was awful because of the 2 rude women that were too busy on their computers and chatting to greet, offer assistance, or EVEN LOOK at us as we entered. My GF felt like a burden as she looked into all of the jewelry cases.
*I should clarify that there wasn’t ANYBODY in this place besides me, my GF and the 2 worthless, unskilled register-​girls.*
The thinner/​younger-​looking one at least turned around to watch us when we got towards the back of the store, but that was clearly only to make sure we didn’t steal anything, as she still said nothing after making eye-​contact.
Oh well, too bad for those artists/​designers whose work is «represented» by this establishment. This unprofessional behavior probably won’t offend EVERYONE, but it certainly wouldn’t put many people into a buying mood. I wonder how many others have left as I have.
I have bought from here a few times in the past, but will not again. I will certainly not recommend this store to anyone (as I frequently did before). Andy Spyros (owner still, I believe) should probably stay until closing or get new «ladies» to «help» the customers.
****This is the THIRD time something approximate to this has happened to me here (the other times were WELL before closing hours)****
Goodbye Handmade…
(I’m quite annoyed, so PLEASE forgive the sloppy writing/​spelling/​formatting/​etc…)

What a great concept for a store!
Imagine you’re in at a fancy shmancy flea market, where you can find a bunch of random handmade trinkets. The prices here range from really cheap to expensive. Cards, jewelery, artwork, clothing, books… you name it and they have it.
The owner rocks too, you can usually find him fixing up the place or talking to the customers. Each booth is a different vendor too. Great place to find one of a kind items… and a GREAT spot for GIFT-​Hunting.
Great location right off of Ventura Blvd in Sherman Oaks. Street or structure parking.

This place is awesome.
I sold some of my stuff here quite some time ago… when I was just getting my business going… and didn’t know what direction I wanted to take it. Yay!
The owner is awesome. The staff is totally sweet.
The stuff in the store is totally unique… and always makes finding something unique easy.
If I am in the area, I always end up stepping into this store to see what new stuff they have…

This is a great place to find some unique, handmade items. Today after a great breakfast at Cravings with the wife and Brian B, we decided to walk the food off. The original intent was to go to Ahhhs down the street, but I saw this place and had to go in. It was not a mistake.
They have custom mugs, knives, watches as well as different miniatures, jewelry, and a variety of other items. I picked up an custom iron miniature frog playing the guitar with a spring as his seat. I enjoy items such as these and always add them to the man room collection.
Ally was a great help, and she showed the wife a variety of items that she had interest in. You can literally spend all day in this place, because there is so many things to see and the items are custom made.
Places like these are hard to find these days, so when your in the area, and looking for some great custom items to buy, you have to make a visit.
Parking is on Ventura Blvd. Best bet, park on Van Nuys and Ventura and walk on down.

While doing my daily walk on Ventura Blvd (hot damn, I have turned into a Valley girl, oi!), something in this shop finally caught my attention to step in for the gazillionth time.
Perhaps it’s because we’re in the heart of shopping season, I strolled through the aisles to peruse the goodies. Saw some cute jewelry and plants and random things, but what did I walk away with as my purchase? A 1960s globe… one that I remember spinning in elementary school classrooms. I would always dream of going to random countries (which I have!), so this purchase brought back childhood memories.
The globe has now found a nice spot on the shelf at home. The price for the globe was not too bad compared to flea markets and online crafts store selling my globe.
A treat to stroll through. It’s a hit and miss on the stuff they carry, but if anything, the items in the store will make you smile (or, I guess cringe depending on your mood).
Parking on Ventura near Handmade is always insane, so find parking on the off streets of Ventura.

Handmade is one of my favorite places in the Valley. Every time I go home I always make sure to stop by.
I’ve picked up everything from funky toys to beautiful jewelry for my girlfriend here. Some of the artists that contribute make some seriously wonderful stuff.
I could spend an entire day in this place.

While looking for parking near Ventura Blvd. I almost slammed into someone because this store so dramatically pulled my eyes away from the road. I want to go to there!
And boy was I glad I did. I didn’t purchase anything (because it’s a bit pricey) but I will some day soon. They have everything I never knew I always needed. It’s a store made from heaven. I love it. I’m not kidding. The jewelry, the notes, the little trinkets, the clothes, the books, everything. It’s just crazy cool. And a great place to buy wonderful presents.
I can’t wait to get paid and go back here!

This place is lovely. LOVELY. when you walk in you feel the warmth of the place. We where actually greeted outside and where asked if we’ve ever been in, and I said No, well please come in, Everything in the store is handmade by different artist/​designers. I had the most enchanting time just looking at each display and actually being able to touch and actually look at an art piece was refreshing. There wasn’t really a theme to anything so it varied from Dia de Los Muertos to Handmade Baby Bibs to Candles, to even car decals. I was observant to notice the prices and they were not as high as I would had expected. So this is a go to place to get that special friend that extra special non mall gift. I only wished they offered classes to inspire yourself to make your own handmade crafts. I was inspired enough to return for some upcoming birthday gift purchases.

Stumbled on this cool shop, what a nice place to find some handmade jewelry! I mean, yeah, they have other stuff, but there’s a HUGE selection of cool silver, gold, stone, ceramic… pretty much every medium-​in this really cool collective. I like my pendants to be interesting, there were plenty there to catch my eye…
It’s a cooperative of artists, I also overheard they have classes you can attend to let your inner artist out with. It’s nice to see the local talent up close, and you can bet you’ll find that unique gift here. Bravo!

I was walking briskly down Ventura the other day, but when I came to this store I stopped dead in my tracks and ran right in.
The first thing I thought when I started looking around was that this was Etsy in person. And as a person who likes to pick things up and smell them when appropriate, it was perfect for me. The huge store is split up into mini little galleries featuring local designers with some truly unique and mostly handmade stuff. Sure, some stuff didn’t appeal to me as much as others (I’m more of a cutesy graphic design girl and less of a hippie jewelry and inspirational saying girl), but the beauty of this place is that there is so much variety that almost everyone is sure to find something that appeals to them.
In my case, I ended up with some very cute and witty cards that I know I’ll put to good use.
You’ll also find some brands you recognize, like Paul Frank stuff for kids and Voluspa candles, but really the main attraction is the gorgeous stuff by the independent designers.
The icing on this very crafty cake was the sweetheart who rang me up, who seemed just so passionate about her store and had such a friendly demeanor. It left me smiling as I carried my new cards out to make someone else’s day!

Awesome place to find a gift (and, unavoidably, several things for yourself): all unique stuff by local artists, coming from an independent store?! Yes please! You can find stuff from the practical — reusable totes, stationary/​cards, clothing for adults/​kids/​babies, handmade soaps; to splurges of various costs — jewelry, art, toys, candles; to the silly — books where you stick a (real) penis through a hole to make a dragon or other hilarity.
One of the things I like a lot is that I DON’T find things where I frown and mutter that I could have made that myself. Some of it is for extremely good prices, like a clutch made of soda can tabs sewn together; my friend said she’d seen the same thing for ~$ 55 more at the MOMA store. I haven’t found much of anything I thought was seriously overpriced.
The employees are very nice and helpful, too. It’s probably for the best that I live 40 minutes away from Handmade.