For many, the fall season brings about the crafting bug, but if you’re not sure how to scratch that itch, we’ll help you find supplies, groups and craft fairs to get those creative juices flowing.
Supplies
Locally Owned Craft Stores
Buying local is a great way to support your community and find unique materials that you wouldn’t normally find in commercial craft stores. Several craft stores even offer classes and community events.
Scrappy Chic – A scrapbooking and paper crafting store in Livonia that also offers classes and sponsors a mixed media and a Cricut club.
Stony Creek Bead – A full-service bead store located in Ypsilanti that has project examples, patterns, classes and, of course, beads galore.
Stampeddler Plus – Located in a renovated 140+ year-old Victorian church on the edge of downtown Northville, stationery and scrapbooking enthusiasts will find the largest selection of rubber and polymer stamps in Michigan. The store also has a wide selection of papers, ribbons and samples.
Spun – Fiber- and needle-crafters will find supplies, kits, books and more in this family-owned Ann Arbor fiber arts store located in historic Kerrytown. In addition to classes and events, Spun also has free weekly drop-ins where you can sit in the shop and get support on your project while enjoying crafting with others in the community.
Ypsilanti Art Supply (YAS) – This store offers supplies for a variety of crafting interests, such as drawing, painting, woodcraft and even bookbinding. In addition to a full calendar of classes, YAS features indie-made art supplies and has local and Michigan-made art for sale.
Thrift Shops
Many great quality craft materials end up in thrift shops. Save yourself some cash while helping reduce the cycle of waste by checking out these local thrift stores for craft materials.
SCRAP Creative Reuse – Located at the edge of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, this store is part of a nationwide network dedicated specifically to reselling craft materials and office supplies. They have an online shop that offers delivery or in-store pickup. In addition to workshops and events, they also have educational programs, such as camps and partnerships with schools and scouts.
Arts & Scraps – Also known as the Detroit Community Store, this unique nonprofit uses recycled industrial scraps to help the environment, support education and build partnerships in the community. They offer “fill a bag” bulk shopping of mixed creative materials, host educational programs in their community classroom for creative reuse art projects and provide community scholarships.
Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop – Supporting the parent-teacher organizations and schools of the Ann Arbor Public Schools for over 30 years, this massive 22,000-square-foot space is laid out like a department store, with a separate section specifically for crafts.
Your Own Closets
While you can brag about what shops you got your materials from, don’t discount the stories and memories you can weave (see what we did there?) with the materials you have in your own home.
Upcycle that old, sentimental garment into something you can use daily. Transform that pile of magazines, stickers and photos into a scrapbook. Raid that secret stash of yarn to make a warm shawl.
Craft Groups
While many local craft stores offer spaces for customers to gather and craft together, here are some spaces designed specifically for crafters to meet, learn and share their creative enthusiasm.
Canton Public Library Knit & Crochet Club – Join local knit and crochet enthusiasts for a casual evening of fiber art fun. Bring your own project and necessary supplies, and we will provide company and conversation.
Cherry Hill Potter’s Guild – Located at the Arts Warehouse at Cherry Hill (formerly the Village Arts Factory) in Canton, the guild consists of a diverse community of clay artists that spread their knowledge, appreciation and enjoyment of handmade pottery through classes, community events and exhibitions.
Ann Arbor Fiber Arts Guild (AAFG) – This 70-year-old educational social club for fiber artists focuses on various fibers and all techniques for crafting them. The AAFG provides opportunities for fiber artists to meet and exchange ideas, learn about fiber art through lectures and workshops and promote the enjoyment of fiber arts through demonstrations and exhibits.
Canton Club 55+ Creative Arts Groups – Hosted by Canton’s Summit on the Park Community Center, the Club 55+ Senior Center has several craft groups for persons 55 and older to enjoy. The Afghan Group and the Little Stitches of Hope group work on crafts for donation to various causes. The Club 55+ Crafting Group meets monthly to socialize and do seasonal-themed projects.
Ann Arbor Crafting Meetup – Meeting weekly at Ann Arbor District Library’s Malletts Creek branch, this casual social group (focused roughly on ages 21-45) gathers to relax, meet new people and work on various personal crafts.
Maker Works Michigan – Not all crafts involve yarn and needles; some use metal and lasers. Maker Works is a member-based workshop in Ann Arbor where crafters of all sorts can learn about and access a range of machines to design and prototype whatever their imaginations come up with.
For members and non-members alike, they offer classes, tours and free events such as Fix-it Friday. They also facilitate meetings for other community maker groups, such as the GO-Tech Group and the Southeast Michigan Wood Workers Group.
Craft Fairs
Crafters don’t just create, they also appreciate, and what better way to enjoy arts and crafts than at local arts and crafts fairs?
The Sunday Artisan Market (at Ann Arbor Farmer’s Market) – Operating only on Sundays from April until the Sunday before Christmas in Ann Arbor’s Kerrytown, this market offers original, handmade work by dozens of local artists and crafters in a wide range of media.
Holiday Artisan Market – November 14, 2026 at Canton Preparatory High School. This market is hosted by the Canton Farmers Market and features over 60 local artisans and vendors.
Plymouth-Canton Music Boosters (PCMB) Fall Craft Show – November 21, 2026 at Plymouth High School. The PCMB Craft Show features more than 150 unique artisans and crafters selling a wide range of products. All proceeds support the Plymouth-Canton Band Program.
Christmas in the Village – On December 5, 2026, Canton’s Cherry Hill Village will be transformed into a Winter Wonderland and bustling Christmas Market featuring local artisans and craftsmen, food trucks, music and more.
Tinsel & Treasures – December 11-12, 2026 at Plymouth Arts & Recreation Complex. Hosted by Handcrafters Handmade Markets, this fair features handcrafted holiday and wintery goods made by Midwest artisans.
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