Bethany Nixon of Reware Vintage and Handmade Detroit was kind enough to write this guide for her city of Detroit:
Metro Detroit is one of the most friendly, diverse and imaginative areas I’ve ever known, and I am proud to have lived here nearly my whole life. As a community, we have historically been known for our ingenuity and hard work, and that applies to our crafty scene too. Come here to shop, learn, and party with us — you’ll fall in love with Detroit too. — Bethany Nixon
CRAFTY STORES
City Bird
460 W. Canfield St., Detroit, MI 48201
Carrying handmade goods from all over the US, with a great emphasis on makers from Michigan and the Midwest.
Yellow Door Art Market
3141 W. 12 Mile Road, Berkley, MI 48072
Yellow Door features over 60 Michigan artists and has gifts for pretty much anyone on your list.
Haberman Fabrics
905 S. Main St., Royal Oak, MI 48067
Haberman is a huge independent fabric store that teaches lots of different kinds of classes for all levels of sewers, and also boasts fabrics & patterns from Marimekko and lots of other big and independent designers.
Munro Crafts
3954 12 Mile Road, Berkley, MI 48072
Paradise for jewelry makers, this independent bead store has an insane amount of jewelry stuffs, and other craft supplies — many of them vintage.
PLACES FOR MAKERS
Pewabic Pottery
10125 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit, MI 48214
A historic ceramics studio in Detroit, with beautiful traditional and modern works for sale from its artists, and classes for all ages to learn.
TechShop Detroit
800 Republic Dr., Allen Park, MI 48101
A Maker Space open 24 hours with lots of equipment and classes to get your make on.
Signal Return
1345 Division St #102, Detroit, MI 48207
This letterpress studio teaches many different workshops, or come in and work on your own project during open studio time.
Arts and Scraps
16135 Harper, Detroit, MI 48224
A non-profit that annually recycles 28 tons of material to help spark creativity. Shop through their scrap store, buy a prepackaged project for kids to take home or sign up for a class (adults & kids) and craft outside the box.
CRAFT SHOWS
- Detroit Urban Craft Fair: Organized by Handmade Detroit, DUCF is the longest-running indie craft fair in Michigan, featuring over 100 crafters. Takes place the first weekend in December each year.
- DIY Street Fair: An annual festival in Ferndale each September with dozens of local bands, nearly 200 vendors, including tons of indie crafters and lots of fun activities for kids and grown ups.
- Rust Belt Market: An indie vintage/craft market open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. They also host special events within like concerts, performance artists and even weddings.
- DIYpsi: A semi-annual festival in Yspilanti with favorite Midwest crafters, a full weekend long!
BEST VINTAGE
Detroit Mercantile
3434 Russell St., Detroit, MI 48207
Lots of rad American- and Michigan-made gifts here, but the vintage housewares here are seriously jaw dropping.
Lost and Found
510 S. Washington, Royal Oak, MI 48067
Metro Detroit’s must-shop vintage clothing store, with a huge variety for guys and ladies.
Vogue Vintage
23622 Woodward, Ferndale, MI 48069
If you want to outfit your entire home in Mid Century Modern decor, this is your place.
CRAFTY HANGOUTS
Garden Bowl
4120 Woodward, Detroit, MI 48201
America’s oldest running bowling alley, over 100 years old, which also happens to have punk rock bartenders, concerts on the lanes, and some of the best pizza in Detroit.
Gold Cash Gold
2100 Michigan Ave., Detroit, MI 48216
Located in a former pawn shop, the menu is regional and delicious.
The WAB
22646 Woodward, Ferndale, MI 48220
Great pizza, greater brews. Get a Raspberry Blonde, then a growler to go.
Eastern Market
Russell and Wilkins Streets, Detroit, MI
There are 4.5 miles of produce, meat, gardening, art and culture in this market, with great lunch spots and people watching too.
Want to know more about Detroit? Contact Bethany, the lady behind Reware Vintage, and a member of Handmade Detroit, the organizers of the Detroit Urban Craft Fair. Find her at RewareVintage.com and HandmadeDetroit.com, on Twitter at @bethanylouise and on Instagram @rewarevintage.
Midwest Craft Con 