The Craft Room gives supplies a second life
For Jenelle Melchior, The Craft Room (400 Fairview Avenue North) started long before she opened the doors to her South Lake Union shop this spring.
Growing up, Melchior’s mom was what she calls “one of those ’90s moms who did a little bit of every craft.” Her craft room was packed with supplies, meticulously organized—and technically off-limits to Melchior and her sister.
That didn’t always stop them.
“She had a big bin of just buttons that we loved to go through,” Melchior said. “They were jewels and treasures. There were all kinds of little treasures in there that we would just kind of be in awe of.”
That sense of discovery helped inspire The Craft Room, which opened April 5 and offers an ever-changing assortment of donated and gently used craft supplies. Shoppers might find yarn, beads, tools, patterns, DIY kits, or something they never knew they needed until they spotted it on a shelf.
The idea is one Melchior had considered since high school, but recent changes in the craft retail landscape helped convince her the time was right. She also saw an opportunity to make crafting more affordable while finding new homes for supplies people no longer use.
“We live in an age of overconsumption,” Melchior said. “People, like myself, decide they want to do a craft, buy all the things for it, and then once they start doing it, realize it’s just not for them.”
At The Craft Room, those barely used supplies can instead become someone else’s creative starting point.
That unpredictability is part of the fun. Because much of the inventory is donated, no two visits are necessarily alike. Yarn and beads are perennial favorites, while all-in-one craft kits have also proven popular. Melchior has even begun creating her own kits based on materials available in the shop.
For beginners, she has intentionally organized the store to make picking up a new hobby a little less intimidating. Yarn, for example, shares space with the books, patterns, and tools needed to learn knitting or crochet.
And when that’s not enough, there’s Melchior herself.
“I’m always here to help answer other people’s questions,” she said. “That’s actually one of my favorite things.”
The Craft Room also hosts regular workshops, with an especially busy schedule planned for October. Upcoming offerings include 21-and-over movie and craft nights, plus the return of a popular DIY witch hat workshop, this time paired with a screening of “Wicked.”
For Melchior, the immediate goal is simple: She wants more people to discover that The Craft Room is here.
“Once they recognize that I’m here, it’s a ton of excitement, and they tell everybody they know,” she said.
Someday, she’d like to expand the concept with space for a regular craft fair featuring rotating vendors. For now, she’s focused on making The Craft Room the neighborhood spot people think of when inspiration—or the urge to make something—strikes.
The Craft Room is open noon–8 pm Monday through Friday and 10 am–2 pm Saturday. It is closed Sunday. Follow the store on Instagram for updates.
Story by Ethan Chung. Photos courtesy Jenelle Melchior/The Craft Room.
