conference · craft shows · News · speakers

Full 2020 schedule + a special opening ceremonies!

Welcome to 2020, the year of Midwest Craft Con! We’ve just put up the full schedule of our creative business conference for your perusal. It is three days of business workshops with incredible speakers, hands-on crafting sessions and inspiring keynotes. If you haven’t gotten your ticket yet, those are available right here — and day passes are now available if you can only join us for part of the weekend. 

To help kick things off we are hosting a creative art show with our friends at Blockfort Galleries.  wohl_whiteamerica - Jessica Wohl

Statements crocheted in yarn. Manifestos in embroidery. Quilted declarations.

In a season of heated political discussion, Midwest Craft Con has partnered with the Blocfort to host an exhibition of craft as activism. 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.

Advertisement
City Guides · craft shows · News · Resources

Fall + Holiday Shows around the Midwest!

The handmade season is upon us! Makers are working their magic building up holiday inventory while still hustling their way through the summer fairs and festivals. Fans of DIY can start planning their shopping lists while makers can explore new markets to sell their handmade items.

Want to make sure you get access to early bird tickets? Sign up for our emails to get details on the next con in 2020 — Early Bird tickets will go on sale September 1st!

Know any other indie craft shows that should be on our list? Add them in the comments!

News

2018 Fall + Holiday Craft Shows Around the Midwest

Midwest Craft Con was founded by three craft show organizers with the mission to help people grow their handmade businesses. While we are still recovering from our conference — sign up for our emails to get details on the next con in 2020 — we are deep in the DIY craft show scene all year round. This list of craft shows and fairs around the Midwest and adjacent states for the rest of 2018 is our gift to makers who want to branch out to new markets. But it’s also for handmade fans who feel like taking a craft show road trip!

strung by shawna, string art, usa map
Art by Midwest Craft Con alumna Strung by Shawna

Know any other indie craft shows that should be on our list? Add them in the comments!

Resources

Spring + Summer 2018 Midwest Craft Shows

type shy handmade
Paper art by Type Shy

We started Midwest Craft Con after being a part of the DIY craft show scene for many years. As part of our outreach for crafters, we create this semiannual list of indie craft shows in the Midwest and within driving distance of the Midwest! This list is for makers who want to branch out to new markets, but also for shoppers who are up for a road trip! Our list of fall and holiday craft shows will go up in August. If we missed any events, add them in the comments section.

Vendor applications for our three affiliated craft shows are now open: Craftin’ Outlaws, Crafty Mart and Crafty Supermarket!

Know any other indie craft shows that should be on our list? Add them in the comments!

News

Full 2018 schedule, day passes and an important change!

vickie howell, the knit showWelcome to 2018, the year of Midwest Craft Con! We’ve just put up the full schedule of our creative business conference for your perusal. It is three days of business workshops with incredible speakers, hands-on crafting sessions and inspiring keynotes. If you haven’t gotten your ticket yet, those are available right here — and day passes are now available if you can only join us for part of the weekend.

And speaking of keynotes: We’ve got an important lineup change! The Breeders’ tour schedule is sadly taking Kelley Deal away from Ohio next month, and we will miss her. But we have found a fabulous replacement: Vickie Howell!

Vickie Howell is a broadcast personality, producer, author, designer, and instructor in the DIY world with a penchant for motivational speaking, and social media marketing. Vickie is well-known as the Host of TV shows such as DIY Network’s Knitty Gritty and Stylelicious, her best selling knitting, crochet, and craft books. Vickie strives to motivate and inspire people to both live creatively and make a living being creative — most recently reaching out to people via her Facebook Live series, Ask Me Monday, her online courses for CreativeLive and Brit+Co., her podcast, Craft*ish, and her latest project, the first studio-quality, community funded, internationally accessible knitting and crochet episodic series: The Knit Show with Vickie Howell. You’ll see her keynote talk Friday evening at the Con, and she’ll be giving a talk about running a successful Kickstarter campaign. Get your ticket here!

News · Resources

Shop Handmade Stores Across the Midwest!

Whether you’re a crafter looking for new markets or a crafty fan looking for shops to visit on your next road trip, this list of indie craft stores of the Midwest is for you! Inspired by our Crafty City Guides, we created this directory of Midwestern handmade stores to help out our entrepreneurial friends. This list focuses on physical retail locations across the Midwest (and some adjacent states) where handmade products from local and national makers are in the spotlight. Check out the full list here!

handmade stores of the midwest, indie craft store list

News · Resources

2017 Fall + Holiday Craft Shows around the Midwest

Midwest Craft Con comes just once a year, but we are deeply rooted in the DIY craft show scene all year round. This list of 2017 Midwest craft shows and fairs is for makers who want to branch out to new markets, but also for shoppers who are up for a road trip! If we missed any events, add them in the comments section.

And don’t forget to save the date for Midwest Craft Con, returning Feb. 16-18, 2018, featuring Kathy Cano Murillo, Gemma Correll and Kelley Deal! Tickets are on sale now!

us midwest, vintage map, craft shows

News · Resources

Spring + Summer 2017 Midwest Craft Shows

Midwest Craft Con comes just once a year, but we are deeply rooted in the DIY craft show scene. This list of Midwest craft shows (and shows within driving distance) is for makers who want to branch out to new markets, but also for shoppers who are up for a road trip! We’ll also put together a list of fall and holiday craft shows in August. If we missed any events, add them in the comments section.

Vendor applications for our three affiliated craft shows are now open: Craftin’ Outlaws, Crafty Mart and Crafty Supermarket!

Sponsors

Sponsor Love: Wholly Craft

Get to know the makers, businesses and faces who are helping us create Midwest Craft Con! Today we meet Olivera Bratich of Wholly Craft, which you can visit on our bus tour and shop with at our trade show!

olivera photo

Megan: How long have you been in the creative scene? How did you get your start?

Olivera: We have been in business just over a decade. When we first opened our doors in 2005, we knew a lot of people who were making fabulous handcrafted goods and struggling to find viable retail outlets. So we stepped in to fill that niche and found a very welcoming audience of customers who were excited to find unique, well-crafted and light-hearted gifts.

Megan: What services do you provide to your community?

Olivera: In addition to the retail shop where we represent handmade goods from over 400 crafters and artists, we host workshops and events throughout the year to encourage folks to make time for creative play and skill building. On our typical event schedule you’ll find introductory level workshops in knitting and crochet, special crafty workshops hosted by favorite local vendors, free monthly skillshare, and Pinterest Parties where participants make fun themed projects.

Wholly Craft is also home to the Supply Closet, a pay-as-you-wish recycled craft supply resource. We accept donations of unused craft supplies throughout the year and offer them up on a pay-as-you-wish basis to the community. A portion of all Supply Closet sales is also donated to Women Crafting Change, a local program of Global Gallery helping women develop marketable craft and business skills.

And finally, we work hard to build meaningful relationships with our vendors and other members of the local craft community. We offer creative business workshops throughout the year to help improve the skill sets of our crafty comrades, and we try to offer valuable feedback to our vendors to help their businesses succeed. Plus we always jump at the chance to support and sponsor local and regional events that help crafters — that’s why we’re a part of the Midwest Craft Con!

Megan: What are you most proud of when it comes to your business?

Olivera: I think I’m most proud of our longevity and our reputation in the craft community. We’ve worked hard to build a sustainable business that offers excellent service to our customers, vendors and staff members. And I think we’re doing alright there. Making money is nice, of course, but I also feel the need to earn the respect of my community.

Megan: What is one big mistake you’d suggest others avoid when entering the handmade arena?

Olivera: Don’t wait until everything is perfect and all lined up correctly because that day will never come. Do the best you can and dive in. You’ll make mistakes along the way, as everyone does, but as long as you’re always willing to learn and grow from them, you’ll be just fine.

Megan: Any big goals for the new year?

Olivera: We’re always scheming and planning big things and this year our list includes building up our regular communication with vendors and finally adding our inventory to our website and launching online sales. We’ve spent a decade focused on the in-person customer experience at Wholly Craft, and I hope we can translate that to a wider audience online.

Megan: What are you most looking forward to at Midwest Craft Con?

Olivera: Meeting all the fantastic fellow handmade business owners and learning from each other. It’s such a great line up of keynotes, speakers, and participants. And I love how interactive it is, too!

Meet Olivera and the Wholly Craft crew at Midwest Craft Con in February! 

News

Craft Con Trade Show

While dreaming up Midwest Craft Con, one aspect that we felt the conference needed was a place to showcase independent shops and specialty boutiques in our handmade world. So we’ve brought them to us in the form of a Trade Show!

On Friday and Saturday evenings, you can shop and mingle with handmade stores and our sponsors at the conference. Did we mention the trade show coincides with happy hour? 🙂 We’ll also have a book signing area where you can meet many of our published speakers while picking up inspirational reads.

At the Trade Show you’ll find these businesses:

  • Igloo Letterpress: Explore and shop letterpress goods and stationary supplies.
  • The Hoop and Needle: Cross-stitch and embroidery kits for complete beginners as well as her own kits (Purple Hippo Stitches) and items from her favorite makers from around the country.
  • Alison Rose: Purchase screen-printed shirts and accessories from everyone’s favorite crafty Columbus couple. (Also the designers of our logo!)
  • Wholly Craft: Shop from Columbus’ oldest and best handmade boutique, which will be offering a wide range of Midwest inspired goods.
  • Frekol: This startup serves local businesses who want to connect to sellers.
  • Yarn It and Haberdashery: They’ll have unique yarns that can be used knitting, crochet and crafts, such as Loopy Mango, Noro, and Ewe Ewe.
  • The Smithery: This shop will show off a selection of jewelry representing many of its artists in the store.
  • Smart Studio Akron  is providing a coloring wall experience.

Many trade show exhibitors will offer up DIY demos so be sure to say hello and thank them for the patronage of Midwest Craft Con.