I have heard great things about this store in Leonia and love how it supports local artists and builds community with local residents. I will definitely be taking a class in the future!
Susannah Levy is a former graphic designer; mother of 10-year-old Ollie and 8-year-old Maddie; lifelong dabbler in many crafts including knitting, crochet, sewing, embroidery, jewelry-making, glass etching, felting, and more; lover of polka-dots. Along with her sister, Kathy Pecht, and Jen Ballot, she is a co-owner of The Craft Lounge. You can find her online at:
www.thecraftlounge.com; @thecraftlounge on twitter; The Craft Lounge fan page on facebook
Where is Craft Lounge located? How did you pick that location?
The Craft Lounge is located at 324 Broad Avenue, Leonia, NJ. Our store is in the heart of the business district and we love being right in the middle of town.
What is the story behind Craft Lounge? And when was it started?
For years, we had a knitting group that met every month or so at Kathy's house. A bunch of us would eat pizza and chat and knit — a perfect Friday evening. As time went on, people started bringing other crafts to work on — beading, embroidery, etc. We all loved bouncing ideas off each other, getting advice, and inspiring and encouraging each other.
We realized that the interest in handcrafted goods extended well beyond our little group, so we started putting on holiday craft fairs. Jen, Kathy, and I constantly talked about how great it would be to combine a place to buy handcrafted goods with a studio where we could teach crafts. Our talents compliment each other so well and we shared a vision, so when the retail space opened up, we knew it was a sign...
What are some of the criteria for items in your store?
Items should be attractive, well made, and affordable. We have made a real effort to keep the prices of our inventory as low as possible, because what we want most is to share our love of these handmade treasures. With all three of us weighing in on selecting items to carry, we make sure to have merchandise that will appeal to many types of buyers.
What makes your shop different from other specialty shops or a craft fair?
The Craft Lounge is a full-sensory experience: it's pretty, cozy (we've got the best comfy chair in town!), and it even smells great, thanks to our ever-changing selection of soaps. It's a destination for people who want to feel inspired or just relax and connect with friends and neighbors.
We are Leonia moms who have always tried to shop locally. Now that we are merchants, we are proud that about 50% of our roughly 100 artists are from Leonia. That's extraordinary when you're talking about a town of only 9,000 people. Also, when we opened The Craft Lounge nearly 18 months ago, we had just 20 artists, which means that in the space of a year-and-a-half, 80 artists have heard about us and jumped at the chance to be a part of our little community of artisans.
The final piece to the puzzle is that in addition to being able to buy lovely things in our shop, you can learn how to make them. In our workshop area, we teach a wide range of crafting classes to people of all ages and offer private parties for kids and adults.
What are some of your popular items? What's the most unique item you've ever sold?
We have a large selection of jewelry in a variety of price ranges, so that's certainly a big seller. Customers also love our soaps & candles, housewares, and items for babies and children. The great thing about our store is that we sell a little bit of everything. I'm not sure I could pick a most unusual item we've sold, since much of our merchandise is one-of-a-kind!
What kids of classes do you offer? What's the most popular class right now?
Among other crafts, we teach:
knitting & crochet
machine & hand sewing
sewing for boys
embroidery
soapmaking & candlemaking
glass etching
beading
greeting card design
and seasonal workshops for almost every holiday
Soapmaking is one of our most popular crafts because it's fun for ages 5 - 100. Whenever we offer soapmaking classes, whether for kids, adults, or both, they always fill!
Any suggestions for Christmas gifts for my family?
Where should I start?! We really do have something for everyone on your list:
Babies
modern baby quilts, $45 – $65
bibs, $12
soft toys, $9
felted booties, $28
Kids
reversible crayon aprons, $25
crayon rolls (in prints for boys and girls), $12
magic wands, $12
doll clothing (fits American Girl™ and other 18'' dolls), $5 – $25
"New Moon" earrings & necklace, $18 – $27 (HUGE with teens!)
Women
jewelry, $5 – $300
ceramics, $12 – $150
hats, scarves & gloves, $18 – $65
soaps & candles, $4 – $12
picture frames, $10 – $20
purses, $15 – $45
Men
clipboards & clocks made of upcycled computer parts, $45 – $225
ceramic mugs, $12 – $20
hand-turned wood pens w/wood box, $55 – $75
wool hats & scarves, $18 – $65
oil barrel candles, $8
musician figures made of upcycled computers & cell phones, $60 – $275
Plus, we have ornaments for everyone!
What if I'm just not "crafty" or I feel insecure about my artistic skills?
We take the intimidation factor out of crafting. We often hear the refrain "I'm not the least bit creative." These same people have made beautiful soaps in our studio; kids with no sewing experience have embroidered patches for their t-shirts and jeans and have created their own doll clothing. We love to teach craft classes to all levels and to bring out the creative juices in everyone. Best of all, people feel really good about themselves when they've made something completely by hand, especially if they've never done it before.
Who is your typical clientele?
Because of the multi-faceted nature of our business, our clientele varies. In the boutique, we get moms, teenagers, and a steady parade of husbands buying their wives gifts for birthdays & anniversaries, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and of course, the winter holidays. As for classes, we teach everyone— boys & girls, adults, parent & child pairs, young women, and grandmothers. We do a lot of kids' parties, but we also do our share of private parties for the grownups — moms love to schedule a Mom's Night Out with their friends!
What are you working on right now?
We're always busy coming up with new workshops to teach. As for my own crafting, I've been crocheting cupcake ornaments, making personalized etched glass ornaments, and sewing some hot/cold therapy packs with removable flannel covers. I can never stick to just one craft!
What can we expect in the future and how can moms help you get there?
We plan to offer even more classes, including a monthly Upcycled Craft. We'd also like to do more Charitable Crafting events like the Chemo Caps workshop we held in October. It's always helpful to have input from our customers as far as what crafts they'd like to learn.
Continuing to expand the inventory in our boutique is in the plan as well. To that end, the best thing anyone can do — not just for The Craft Lounge, but for all downtown business districts — is to patronize local independent shops and spread the word when you have a positive experience.
What do you have going on right now that I can get involved in?
We have a couple of spaces left in Saturday's Holiday Soapmaking workshop. (But hurry because they fill quickly!) Beginning next week, we'll be taking a break from classes for the holidays, but we'll be back in January with a slew of new classes, including Kids' Machine Sewing, Felting, Knitting Skills Refresher Workshop, Kids' Paper Beads, and Spa Night: Make Your Own Lip Balm. Until then, come on by to browse the shop, arrange a private class for a Mom's Night Out, or just chill in the lounge.
Do you have a local tip about Leonia? Great kids place, restaurant, park or mom's hang out? What do you like/dislike about the town?
My family and I love the new Italian restaurant, Fontana di Trevi, on Ft. Lee Road. The owners are delightful, the atmosphere is lovely, and the food is delicious. We've been there with our kids and without. It's a great way to have a date night but not break the bank on a sitter — no travel time!
I love Leonia and couldn't imagine living anywhere else. My kids' classrooms are culturally diverse, I can walk almost anywhere in town, and my neighbors are friendly. All that and I'm right across the bridge from NYC. What more could you want from a community?
Thanks, Susannah for those great tips and bravo to your and your co-owners for creating such a wonderful sanctuary for the community. I encourage any of you moms who need a break to get some friends together and get crafty!
My family and I love the new Italian restaurant, Fontana di Trevi, on Ft. Lee Road. The owners are delightful, the atmosphere is lovely, and the food is delicious.
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