As it turns out, shoppers need not brave the hustle and bustle of shopping malls to find the perfect Christmas gift.

This year’s Kris Kringle Craft Show, hosted by The Blind Center and held at First United Methodist Church in Washington, offered a pleasant shopping experience and a wide variety of selections for every one’s Christmas list. The show was held Friday and Saturday, and the event was bigger and better than ever before as the center and area artisans and crafters stepped in to fill a void left when the Beaufort County Arts Council decided not to hold its traditional arts and crafts show this year.

“We did this for the local vendors, to support them … it’s a good way to promote their unique, handcrafted gift items,” said Blair Bergevin, executive director of The Blind Center.

The gift selection included one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces, knitted and crocheted items, Christmas decorations and ornaments, pottery, quilts, home accessories and even preserves, relishes, jams and jellies from locally grown vegetables and fruits.

And it’s a sure bet that the award for most unique item would have to go to Jim Davenport of Back Creek Lapidary for his jewelry featuring polished dinosaur dung … yep, you read that correctly.

If anyone missed the show, there is a second chance to purchased some of the handcrafted items. The Blind Center operates its own gift shop, which is well stocked with useful and decorative items created by blind and visually-impaired clients. The shop is open Mondays through Fridays, 8 a.m. to noon; but since the center itself is open until 4 p.m. daily, helpful staffers and volunteers are more than happy to accommodate shoppers throughout the day.

“We do encourage people to buy things from our gift shop,” Bergevin said. “It encourages the clients and all the money goes directly back into the client programs.”

*The Blind Center is located at the corner of Harvey and Third streets in Washington. For more information, call 252-946-6208.