Brokelyn

Etsy represents the best and worst of the world’s creativity, or lack thereof (old doesn’t equal kitschy). With the magic of the internet, you can buy original handmade crafts and vintage treasures from all over the world. It’s a beautiful thing, but we at Brokelyn want to support our local artisans—especially those who go beyond the Scrabble tile cufflinks, things with owls on them, and stuff made out of tree bark that have become ubiquitous at craft fairs everywhere. With V-Day a week away, but really just because, we scoured Etsy for some Brooklyn-made merch that caught our fancy. Read the rest of this entry »

Instead of yelling at 2 Broke Girls for blowing their hard-earned startup cash on a revenge fantasy, you could be doing something to share your own crafty skills. Our friends at Greenpointers are looking for vendors to help fill up their annual holiday market: arty, foody, gifty, crafty or otherwise homemade goods are wanted for the Dec. 17 market at Lutheran Church of the Messiah at 129 Russell St. You can get one 8-foot table for $50 or two for $30; and one 6-foot table for $40 or two for $25. Email greenpointers (at) gmail.com to reserve.

Your old clothes can carry on and on.

Oh, hey, you love The Strand? Us too! While it’s hard to argue with the merits of reusable tote bags — something about the environment, I think? — the folks at Williamsburg craft resource SPACECRAFT invite you to put down your Strand/Park Slope Food Coop/n+1 portable advertisement and pick up a needle and thread. This Saturday from 2-5pm, anti-plastic crusaders from Bags for the People will be on hand to lead Brooklynites through the basics of making reusable shopping bags with personal flair. Just BYO fabric scraps — an old shirt works, too — and for a $7 suggested donation, they’ll have stitching your way to sustainability in no time.

SPACECRAFT, is at 355 Bedford Ave. between S. 3rd and S. 4th Streets.

Cat-hair necklace, $220.

Move over alpaca scarves and sheepskin sock… here comes cat hair jewelry!

In the most impressive recycling feat we’ve seen since the dryer lint Last Supper, a San Francisco artist is turning her cat’s fur into a jewelry line. Flora Davis is selling a (surprisingly beautiful) line of necklaces on Etsy – all made of a cat-hair “felt” she created by rolling the fur between her hands.  As she tells Wired: Read the rest of this entry »

Craft owl at Etsy HQ - photos by Sarah Bibi

If you’re a fan of the Etsy Labs, get excited: not only do Monday’s Craft Night resume next week, the labs have moved to a larger space featuring more elbow room. If you have no idea what we’re talking about, let’s educate you: Every Monday from 4-8pm at Etsy HQ, the DIY sales site hosts a night of crafting and fun led by a wide array of instructors. It’s completely free and includes all the supplies your crochet-covered heart desires, but it’s not the only free stuff at Etsy. Read the rest of this entry »

Marty Markowitz blessed the 8^th annual BKLYN DESIGNS event this morning at St. Ann’s Warehouse in DUMBO, kicking off a weekend homage to furnishings and home accessories designed and/or made in Brooklyn. This sampling from the ‘Republic of Brooklyn’ (whose exports extend far beyond artisanal pickles and yoga wear) features handiwork and artistry of 45 local favorites, including a few never-before-seen designers. If you’re heading over for some (or all) of the still-full weekend left, here are a few ways to get your ticket’s worth: Read the rest of this entry »

Safak Aydemir's hand-beaded necklaces.

Stroll down Bedford Avenue on a nice day and the life of a street-vendor can look pretty appealing. So free, so independent, seem those hawkers of books and sellers of handmade mobiles you pass on the sidewalk. You start to wonder what it takes to make a living like this—whether street-vending just might be a viable career path. We’ve certainly wondered all this, and now, after badgering a few street vendors and hard-working public servants, the idea doesn’t seem so far-fetched. For all the enterprising New Yorkers out there with a folding table and dream, the many strings attached and city regulations are no barrier to engaging in this barely tolerated form of commerce. Read the rest of this entry »

Photos by Eric Reichbaum.

How cool is this? To demonstrate the many things that can be made from a plain old t-shirt (in this case, an exceptionally attractive one), Park Slope-based writer and craftmistress Megan Nicolay has made a tote bag from one of our Brokelyn 1.0 t-shirts, and we’re going to give it away to a lucky reader.

But first, more about Megan, the author of two books—Generation T, 108 Ways to Transform a T-shirt, and Generation T, Beyond Fashion: 120 New Ways to Transform a T-shirt (both from Workman Publishing)—that show how to fashion everyone’s favorite wardrobe staple into items ranging from quick, no-sew tops to an elaborately construct wedding dresses. With a few quick snips and stitches she can turn a humble top into something ready for a night out. Read the rest of this entry »

File this under ideas we mused about over beers but never actually pulled off: a new meme blog of the crazy, kooky, sometimes terrifying things people sell on Etsy. (Even weirder than this Michael Jackson memorabilia.) In today’s Thrillist email blast comes a link to the cleverly titled Regretsy blog, a catalogue of treasures like amputated pigeon feet, soap that looks like a corn-doodie, a cuddly plush teddy bear with lady business (um, what for?) and this “birth education” crochet pattern. We’ll spare you the masturbating dinosaur wall plaque, but a pink leopard goat poncho (after the jump) was too festive to resist, even if the goat isn’t convinced. Do your own browsing here. Read the rest of this entry »

We must be in the mood to shop today. Maybe that’s because this weekend is The Renegade Craft Fair—Art Basel for the Etsy crowd—where you could fill a whole Airstream with the DIY cloth purses, agro onesies and vintage-print aprons that will be filling the 250-plus foldup tables at McCarren Park. But what’s the really good stuff? We asked our design-editor friend Mary Kate for a highly opinionated preview. Read the rest of this entry »