Amy Fang, founder and owner of new craft studio Koala Craft in Chapel Hill, said she wants people who visit her store to believe they can create beautiful things and have confidence in their creations.
“Most of the time, I just want them to have some fun,” she said.
Across Chapel Hill and Carrboro, venues like Fang’s provide opportunities for the community to be creative, make new things and develop skills in arts and crafts. They offer a chance to explore a variety of mediums and many hope to foster a sense of community among patrons.
Koala Craft held its grand opening on Jan. 28, and features pre-selected crafts such as tufting, — a weaving technique using yarn, canvas and a tufting gun to create pieces like rugs — painting and more.
Fang said she wanted there to be more opportunities for people who enjoy crafting to go out and do something fun with friends. The crafts she offers, she said, are easy to do without prior experience and are accessible for a wide range of ages.
Another local business offering arts and crafts opportunities is My Muses Card Shop in Carrboro.
While the store is primarily a gift and stationery shop, it also has workshops in skills like calligraphy, watercolor and papermaking, and has even hosted classes in techniques like cyanotype and Ukrainian art. Most of the store’s classes are geared toward beginners, store owner and art director Anbi Sivadas said.
Sivadas said that as an artist himself, he always wanted the space to be a place where people can learn and share their artistic gifts in addition to being a shop. After the pandemic, the store was able to host its first workshop and is now in the process of expanding its space to include an area dedicated to art classes and displays of local art.
“Me being an artist, I do see the benefit of working with these mediums and how transformative it is,” he said.
