Brooklyn Craft Company Is Making Crafts Cool Again

If you’re itching to craft but have no idea how to get started, Brett Bara of Brooklyn Craft Company can help.

In New York City where convenience is everything, Bara and her team provide locals with workshops in a range of subjects from weaving and dyeing to knitting, sewing and more.

Now, Brooklyn Craft Company is in a new space full of all the supplies an enthusiast DIYer might need for craft projects. Sure, crafters can make the trek to upper Manhattan or Queens to get supplies from big chain stores, but that isn’t the vibe that Brooklyn Craft Company is going for.

The Evolution of Brooklyn Craft Company

Before launching Brooklyn Craft Company, Bara was already busy at work in the craft community. She served as editor-in-chief of the now-shuttered Crochet Today, and she also did a lot of on-camera crafts work, including hosting the PBS series Knit and Crochet Now and teaching online classes for Craftsy.

By the time she decided to launch a business, she had all kinds of craft experience under her belt, from writing crafts books and blogging to designing crafts for other brands, consulting and writing.

The launch of Brooklyn Craft Company happened in stages over several years. The initial idea sparked when Bara noticed that every new young professional she met in New York said the same thing to her: “Oh I’ve been dying to learn how to knit/sew/craft but I just don’t know where to start!” or “My grandma/mom taught me to knit when I was little but I didn’t keep up with it and would love to get back into it.”

In response to these hungry wanna-be crafters, she organized a one-day event in 2012 called Brooklyn Craft Camp. “I really saw a curiosity out there among young urban professionals to get more into DIY and crafting, but they seemed to need a little help getting started,” she says. Brooklyn Craft Camp not only gave students a taste of DIY, but it also launched a major crafting addiction among many NYC residents. They wanted more.

Reeling from its success, Bara opened a studio space in a former factory building in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. This space, while just as successful as the one-day camp, only offered workshops and was housed inside a large building, so there was no storefront or foot traffic.

When it was time to renew the lease three years later, she made the bold move to what is now the current Brooklyn Craft Company space. She teamed up with now- co-owner Carolyn Heitmann, adding retail to the already-existing full schedule of workshops. The new location is street level, so the storefront can entice customers on foot who want to pop in to purchase a few supplies or even a crafty gift.

Residents in Greenpoint were very excited to welcome Brooklyn Craft Company to the neighborhood. “Every day customers come in and tell us how much the neighborhood needed a store like ours,” says Bara. “That's a great feeling.”

What You’ll Find at Brooklyn Craft Company

The spirit of Brooklyn Craft Camp’s initial one-day workshop is still alive in the retail space. “We provide a wide range of craft and DIY classes in a really easy, approachable way,” says Bara.

What makes the classes so easy, besides the location, is the added retail. While NYC is a great place to shop, often crafters must go to several different shops to find supplies for just one project. “We provide all the supplies and tools needed, so that students can just show up, relax, get creative, and have fun,” she says. For young urban professionals – the shop’s target customers – a one-stop shop is super important.

The convenience of the retail space doesn’t stop with the workshops, though. Once customers practice the DIY technique in the class, all the supplies they need are right there in Brooklyn Craft Company’s retail space. They can continue to hone their craft long after the workshop is over.

Class supplies aren’t the only crafty goodies you’ll find there. “We have yarn, fabric, sewing notions, paper crafting supplies, art supplies, stationery, and lots of cute, fun things that aren’t necessarily supplies but that appeal to crafty people,” Bara says.

Each item is carefully chosen and displayed, so craft enthusiasts won’t have to dig around or go from store to store to find what they’re looking for. “Our goal is to be very useful, and to be a place where locals know they can find anything they might need for their projects, but in a well-curated way,” says Bara.

When asked what Brooklyn Craft Company brings to the table that large craft chain stores can’t, Bara says, “Personalized service for sure, as well as curation that comes from the point of view of two young, urban women who are basically obsessed with gathering up all of our favorite crafty finds.”

The shop doesn’t just set itself apart with personal service, though. The shop team also prides itself in building a space that’s modern and attractive. “Back when I worked inside the crafts industry, I was often frustrated by feeling like the industry didn’t do a good job of presenting itself in a very stylish way,” she says. “I think we’ve managed to do that. It’s such a nice feeling when someone comes into the store and just can’t stop gushing over how irresistible everything is.”

Be warned: The enthusiasm of both the shop staff and the crafters who shop there is sure to be contagious, even to a beginner DIYer. “My business partner [Carolyn Heitmann] and I literally squeal with delight at most of the things we buy for the store – and we think those squeals of delight get passed right on down to our customers when they come in to shop!” says Bara.

What’s Next for Brooklyn Craft Company?

Even if you’re not a Brooklyn local, you can still get in on all the crafty goodness that Brooklyn Craft Company offers. Bara and her team are currently working on an online store, as well as tutorials and free patterns that everyone — even non-NYC residents — can enjoy.

To keep up to date with the online store launch, follow Brooklyn Craft Company on Instagram or check out their website.

First photo credit: Brooklyn Craft Company