Cool Crafting: MSP’s DIY and Handmade Havens

Jan 4th 2011 11:25AM / by Kristen Aeikens

The Twin Cities is bursting with a crazy number of crafty-types who live and die by the DIY mantra. Luckily our fine metro boasts a bevy of top shops that are perfect for lovers of the handmade vibe, seasoned crafters and crafty wannabes alike.

Crafty Planet: Lovers of the needle arts will flip for Crafty Planet, a stitcher’s paradise that prides itself on its DIY attitude. Housed within its walls you’ll find hundreds of bolts of eye-catching fabrics, sewing accessories, handy how-to books and an ever-expanding selection of knitting goods. They also offer tons of crafty classes perfect for honing your skills.
2833 Johnson St. NE, Minneapolis; 612-788-1180

i like you: Your list of loves will be a mile long in i like you. Shoppers of this handmade haven will find a slew of unique items handmade by talented crafters, artisans and independent designers. Beautiful jewelry, art, cool cards, decor items and even funky baby clothes all mingle to make i like you a super-stylish indie destination.
501 1st Ave. NE, Minneapolis; 612-208-0249

Bella Lana: If you’re a knitter or crocheter, check out Bella Lana, a yarn boutique that houses a floor-to-ceiling selection of gorgeous yarns in a rainbow of colors and myriad textures. The shop also offers up tons of needles and notions and stylish patterns, as well as some great craft classes that will have you knitting and purling in no time.
21 Fourth St. SE, Minneapolis; 612-331-3330

Truly…: Touting a “shop indie goodness” motto, Truly… is a quaint suburban boutique that sports a spot-on selection of handmade and artisan goods from both local and national DIYers. People with a penchant for independent style will find everything from cool handbags, jewelry and tees to cute baby goods and body products.
2175 4th St., White Bear Lake; 651-426-8414

The Bead Monkey: If the art of beading has a cult-like following, then The Bead Monkey is probably their leader. This local shop has a huge selection of beads, pendants, crystals, beading kits and more, perfect for DIY jewelry design. If your skills are a little rough around the edges sign up for a metalworking class or bead camp.
867 Grand Ave., St. Paul; 651-222-7729
3717 W. 50th St., Minneapolis; 952-929-4032

Photo Courtesy of Diane Wellman, flick

Our Billboard bags are featured as a Chick Picks on MINNEAPOLIS PICKS

“We’re not huge fans of ginormous billboards polluting nature’s majesty, especially when half of the ads are attempting to lure us to a tractor museum, to drink canned beer, or to stop at Wall Drug for 5-cent coffee.

Enter Drive by Bags, an innovative local design team that’s determined to conquer the big-boards-of-ugly one bag at a time. They transform billboard ads into one-of-a-kind handbags that are mini works of pop-culture art, making them both earth-friendly and cool.”

A customer emailed us today about this site…. it’s a great idea to help the small independents in this time of ….media driven recession? Check it out!
Thanks Mary Lue!

Marichelle at Heart Handmade has a great looking blog  with a weekly feature called Retail Therapy and she did a piece on us! Check it out-

http://www.hearthandmadeblog.com/2009/02/retail-therapy-truly.html

Thanks Marichelle!

Growth Of Crafty Businesses During Rough Economy

Reporting
Maya Nishikawa   WCCO