Main Street Makery: Where Creativity Flourishes.

Mural artist Christina White and Sarah Grandy standing next to the mural created during Alleyfest

As I've travelled around Durham checking out local sites, I've been surprised to discover the number of residents that have turned their dreams into businesses. A great example of that trend can be found just down the alley between Durham House of Pizza and The Candy Bar. Sarah Grandy has a passion for weaving, sewing, and loves fabric arts. She took that passion to the next level when she and Wendy Brooks opened Main Street Makery at the beginning of May of 2014.

The store is filled with a wide assortment of locally-produced "indie" crafts. Sarah acts as curator and is constantly looking for new and interesting things to add to her collection. This arrangement provides talented artists with a space to showcase their works, and exposes the community to high quality handmade jewelry, gift cards, and really cool works.

In addition to all this great merchandise, the weekly $5 craft offers everyone a chance to work on a project. Sarah is constantly combing through her supplies to develop something that appeals to all ages. Paint, paper, fabric, wood, and found objects are some of the materials used. Past projects include painting masks, making woodland gnomes, and making fleece scarfs. This really is an amazing bargain that should not be missed.

If you're looking for something more in-depth than a weekly craft, Heather Anderson offers 6-week knitting workshops. The classes meet on Thursdays from 12:30-2:30 in the backroom of the store and are open to all ability levels. When I stopped in, the group was working on everything from hats to beer koozies. Registration for future classes can be done at the Main Street Makery website.

Main Street Makery is open Tuesday-Friday 10am to 6pm and Saturdays from 10am to 4 pm. Whether you're looking for a gift idea or inspiration, drop in and say hello. The teapot is always on.