Crafty Wonderland is this Sunday, October 11th! at Doug Fir Lounge (830 E Burnside) from 11am-4pm

I'm always surprised when I meet a Portlander who hasn't heard of Crafty Wonderland. On the second Sunday of every month (tomorrow) you can pop into the basement of the hipster Doug Fir Lounge and you don't have to be drunk or stoned because you are just going there to shop (and be inspired by) some of the coolest urban crafts in the country. We're not talking about your sloppy aunt Flo's quilts or your church-fair's knitted hats that look like strawberries either. Think of light switch covers covered in retro graphics, barrettes made of buttons, iron-on patches to make almost any thrift store cardigan seem interesting, and my favorite purses made of old game boards! As you might expect, pretty much every vendor looks like they might have smoked clove cigarettes in the 90's and listened to too much Morrissey but they aren't pretentious posers either; everyone is friendly and approachable so you don't feel like a total douchebag either.

If that sort of creativity doesn't get you off your ass, consider the fact that it's cheap. The prices are beyond reasonable, much less than the typical crap at a department store. With today's values emphasizing "green" and "sustainable" I always want to remind people that shopping local and supporting local merchants and artisans is just as important to keeping your community thriving. Why give your money to "Wally Mart" for a bunch of shit that will end up in the landfill when you can support some bike-riding, enviro-loving hipster who probably needs fifty bucks to buy groceries right now (like me!)

Super Crafty: Over 75 Amazing How-to Projects!

Crafty Wonderland is the brainchild of the awesome authors Super Crafty and founding members of Portland Super Crafty. Coincidentally, I had the pleasure of bumping into Cathy Pitters and Torie Nguyen this week at a PNCA presentation featuring dreamboat Matt Stinchcomb of Etsy.com (yes the original Etsy, not to be confused with Regretsy!) I met Torie a few years ago when I owned Hello Portland and I was interested in helping crafters sell to more boutique stores like mine.

Here are just a few snapshots of some tasty, crafty treats you could find at Crafty Wonderland. Also, if you can't find a babysitter, bring the kids. There is always a craft table featuring a new project for to check out every month.

 

 

 

 

Check out Crafty Wonderland on youtube

Craft Magazine - a must have! I found a few back issues at Amazon... Just In case you're not lucky enough to live in Portland, here's a list of upcoming craft fairs throughout the whole country, c/o one of my favorite magazines, "Craft"