"Local Tuesdays" - a weekly series on cool resources in the Columbus, OH area
STORE: Wholly Craft
LOCATION: 3169 N High St, Columbus, OH 43202
TYPE: Independent local artists, gifts, accessories
OWNER: Olivera Bratich
HOURS: 1- 8 PM M - F (closed Tuesdays), 12-7PM Sat, 12-5 PM Sun
WEBSITE: http://www.whollycraft.com/
GOOD IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR: A place to donate all your old craft supplies! (And a place which supports local Columbus artists!)
Wholly Craft is a fun little place. However, what cemented my eternal love was the addition of the Supply Closet - a place for crafters to donate their unwanted supplies!(Fellow costumers, we no longer have to throw away our unused fabric! Bring it to Wholly Craft it and be free!)
I got to talk to owner Olivera about shopping local and supporting the local art scene!
Okay, I have to ask - Why that name?
I honestly don’t remember! I’m pretty sure my husband came up with it. We had a more serious boutique-y name, and a funny name picked out. We wanted one that would fit the personality of the store - so “Wholly Craft” won out!
How long have you been here?
8 years
Why Columbus, Ohio? Why Clintonville?
I was living in Clintonville before we opened, and I felt that it had just the right customer. People in Clintonville appreciate handmade, and are laid-back and forward thinking. This neighborhood helped shape the store.
What gave you the idea for Wholly Craft?
I knew a lot of people making things with no place to sell them. This was especially a problem for the newer wave of crafters - people who made things that were a little bit different and didn’t really fit in the area galleries. Something was missing. I wanted to fill that gap.
It all came together really fast - about six months from the original idea to opening the store. It was just the right time
I’m interested in handmade. We have 200 artists in here, with 8- from central Ohio. There’s real value in something make intentionally by someone who enjoys making it. There’s a value in supporting your neighbors, in keeping everyone in business. It really adds something special, that sense of “This is where I’m from.”
Tell me about the Supply Closet! Where did you get the idea?
The Supply Closet is a place where crafters can donate any unwanted supplies. People can browse, pick what they like, and pay what they think is fair. It’s part of a larger network, started as an Upcycle program in St. Louis. (There’s locations in Tampa, Chattanooga, all over the country!)
Every crafter I know has a closet full of stuff - leftover supplies, mediums they tried and didn’t like, old gifts they never finished. They don’t want to throw it all away, they want it to be used! Supply Closet is a way to pass the extra on into makers’ hands.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone looking for a unique item?
I’d help them narrow it down, ask a few questions about their personality. Is it a gift? What can you tell me about the person? We’d shape it from there. We carry a wide array of things, whether the recipient is more quirky or traditional.
You’ve talked a lot about Wholly Craft carrying gifts. I don’t want to just call it a gift shop - How would you describe it?
Often, people come in and pick something up for somebody else’s special occassion, and then pick up something for themselves. Sometimes it’s celebrating your own milestone - picking up prints for your new apartment, or picking up a pair of earrings after a rough week. Gift-giving is not always for someone else.
But whoever it’s for, Wholly Craft is celebratory!
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