Midwest Craft Con is coming up fast! If you haven’t already gotten your ticket, you can get a weekend pass or day pass right here until noon on Feb. 28, and then day passes will also be available on site.

The con officially kicks off at 6pm on Thursday, February 27th at the closing reception of Undeniable Threads at Blockfort Galleries.

Selected from a call-for-entries, these works cross traditional craft with topics political and social justice, showing just how loudly modern craft can speak as an art form.

Artists featured in the exhibition include Bonnie Peterson, Alyson Toone, Jessica Wohl, Al Hoff, Rachel Baker, Zak Foster, Jen Edwards, and Letitia Kenemer.

There will be an exclusive reception for Craft Con attendees in addition to the public reception.

Sessions will be taking place at the Embassy Suites Friday through Sunday during the day

We have so many good things for you and your creative business. You can see the full conference schedule right here! There’s good stuff going on every single day. We’ve also got more details on our craft workshops and evening craftivities, which will include peer meetups, karaoke, and a craft crawl.

What’s a craft crawl, you say?

Inspired by Craftcation’s art walk, Wanderings, we’ve organized a Craft Crawl for Saturday night. Experience DIY projects, pop-up shops, games, fun times and crafty drinks in the rooms of select partners and sponsors throughout the hotel on Friday evening from 9 to 11 p.m.

Start things off with our pals at Handmade Arcade, where they’ll be playing crafty bingo complete with prizes, drinks, and snacks in their suite. From there, grab a flyer with the room numbers of our other hosts, who will lead you through casual make and takes, high stakes craft-offs, hot tub fortune telling, and ending with karaoke!

You’ll be able to meet and shop with many crafty businesses in our trade show, and many of our speakers are offering one-on-one meetings with Conners in sessions you can sign up for on site. None of this would be possible without the support of our fantastic sponsors from across Ohio and across the country!

Phew! With so much going on, it pays to be prepared. We created this list of essentials to help you pack!

The basics: Our program doubles as a place to take notes, but you might want to pack an extra notebook and pen. We also recommend that you bring a water bottle and snacks to get you through the day. Remember to wear comfortable shoes!

Crafty things: During our evening craftivity time and in the introverts’ room we have plenty of space for you to work on your in-progress projects. We also won’t judge at all if you want to knit while you listen to talks!

What to wear: Many crafters wear really spectacular outfits — often handmade! Wear whatever is comfortable for you, and feel free to be as crafty as you wanna be. Bring sequins for karaoke night if you want to sparkle! As for outerwear, the temperature in Columbus is likely to hover around freezing, so bundle up! If you’re a freezebaby, no worries — you never have to leave the hotel if you don’t want to.

Extra cash: The hotel has a free breakfast for guests, and we’re covering lunch Saturday and Sunday, and then dinner is on your own. If you wanna go DIY, you can always bring Tupperware! There will also be opportunities to shop at our Trade Show all weekend. Save a few bucks for raffle tickets for some amazing gift baskets from our sponsors and community partners. And remember to tip housekeeping a few dollars each day!

A smart device: You might not want to drag along your laptop, but we encourage you to bring a smartphone or tablet to access the internet and take pictures. Connecting with other conners directly by trading numbers or following each other on Instagram is easier than busting out business cards. And, of course, don’t forget your charger and backup power source!

Personal items: This is YOUR weekend. Bring your must-have toiletries, maybe a yoga mat, a book for downtime, your bathing suit for the pool, or anything else you’ll need to make this your home away from home.

What NOT to bring: Leave your stress at home! This weekend is about improving your business, reinvigorating your creative spirit and having some fun with fellow crafty folks! Make sure to take a look over our Code of Conduct, which is made to ensure everybody has a good time.

Get your ticket for Midwest Craft Con if you haven’t already, and we’ll see you at the con!

Get to know the makers, businesses and faces who are helping us create Midwest Craft Con! Today we meet Darice, our official crafty supply sponsor for this year’s Craft Con!

Darice is a premier wholesaler in the arts and crafts industry with over 65 years of trusted business. With over 45,000 items across several product categories, we’re your one-stop source for supplies for your crafting hobby or business. Our top supply categories for makers include craft basics, art, jewelry, floral, wood, paper crafting, tools and so much more! Buying your supplies wholesale direct means more profit for you. Let us be your partner in craft with easy ordering, fast turnaround times and free shipping with our Freight Included program. 

Let Darice be both your DIY source AND your resource.  Our website and blog feature trend reports, small business tools and articles, project ideas and so much more to help you run your creative business. 

Darice is excited to participate in the Midwest Craft Con for the first time and sponsor the craft programming at the event. We’re looking forward to connecting with local makers and creatives – we are an Ohio company!

Keep a look out for our supplies in all of your workshop classes. Stop by our tradeshow table to learn more about buying your supplies wholesale and information on how to sign up for an account. Enter our giveaway for a special supply gift basket or $100 Visa Gift Cards and enjoy a free make and take while you’re there. We’re also excited to offer daily craft projects during lunch!