The Kootenays have always been ahead of the curve when it comes to hand crafted art and supporting local businesses, but did you know we also have amazing resources for DIY arts and crafts? The artsy, handcrafted, sustainable nature of the Kootenays translates to an abundance of arts and crafts stores of all kinds!
These local businesses offer raw materials, advice, and finished goods that cover the full range of crafts – whether you’re in the mood for a quilting project, knitting endeavor, or any other creative pursuit. Many proudly carry brands that support other independent businesses, particularly those in the yarn world. And while there’s no shortage of outdoor adventures in our neck of the woods, sometimes it’s just as fun to spend a cozy afternoon indoors, indulging in your favorite crafts.
So, here’s our list of all the stores arts and crafts stores in the Kootenays. Stop by and stock up – you’ll be supporting local business and finding everything you need for your next creative project!
Nordic Studio Fibre Arts
📍Castlegar, BC
Nordic Studio is the go-to spot in Castlegar for fibre arts. When you walk inside you’ll be greeted with a warm hello and see a huge selection of beautiful yarns and notions for your fibre projects. If you like knitting, crocheting, sewing, felting, hand-tufting rugs, or macrame, Nordic Studio has you covered.
The studio frequently offers classes for adults and kids that you can register for through their website. Previous classes include making crocheted dishcloths, macrame wall-hangings, and a fibre n’ wine macrame night.
For web store and class signup:
Berkana Wool
📍Nelson, BC
When you walk by Berkana’s storefront, you’ll be dazzled by their floor-to-ceiling display of beautifully-coloured skeins. Berkana carefully selects brands that provide quality, natural yarn. The colours are truly brilliant and it’s difficult to leave the store without buying at least one skein.
Berkana also carries other fibre notions like needles, books, yarn bowls, and hooks.
If you’re a Nelson-local you can join in on the weekly knit nights. Check out their website for more information.
Nelson Stitch Lab
📍Nelson, BC
If you or your kids want to learn how to sew, go to Nelson Stitch Lab. In addition to their great selection of sewing materials, they have several classes to teach you or the children in your life how to sew.
If you’re into embroidery or counted-cross stitch, Nelson Stitch Lab also carries a small selection of embroidery patterns, hoops, and DMC embroidery thread.
Check out their website for class sign-up and the online store.
Abacus Beads
📍Nelson, BC
With beads of all sizes, from tiny little ones to feature size beads, as well as semi precious stones, wooden beads, and a wide assortment of charms, Abacus beads is a huge resource for anyone into beadwork and jewelry making! From abalone to rubber hearts for kids, if you can’t find the bead you need here, you can’t find it anywhere.
Cowans Office Supply Ltd.
📍Nelson, BC
Cowans is actually an office supply store, but they have a surprisingly large selection of art supplies. They carry supplies for:
- Acrylic painting
- Oil painting
- Watercolor painting
- Printmaking
- Drawing (pads and pencils)
- Papercrafts
- Calligraphy
- Sculpting
- etc.
Pretty impressive for an office store! You can see their entire catalog on their website.
Cowans puts on workshops to test all those art supplies out too. Keep an eye out on their socials for upcoming events.
🔗cowans.org/pages/navigation-menu
Shannon’s Fabrics
📍Nelson, BC
Shannon’s Fabrics on Baker Street has a decent selection of fabric to choose from. They repair sewing machines and also carry DMC embroidery floss for your embroidery and counted-cross stitch projects. The thread is on the pricier side but great if you’re in a pinch and need a particular colour.
Fly in the Fibre
📍Creston, BC
Fly in the Fibre is a fun place to be – it’s a gift shop that carries hand-dyed yarn, fibre, local art, and women’s accessories, AND it’s a coffee shop!
Sugar Town Quilt Company
📍Cranbrook, BC
This is the quilting spot in Cranbrook! In addition to the fabric selection, Sugar Town has quilting kits for purchase to take home. They regularly offer classes for various sewing projects. Check out this basket from a previous class:
Give them a follow on Facebook to stay up to date with their sales, classes, and new inventory.
🔗https://www.facebook.com/sugartownquiltco?mibextid=dGKdO6
Funk Haus Craft Lab
📍Kimberly, BC
Funk Haus carries all sorts of art supplies as well as materials for jewelry making!
Some of their products include:
- Paints and Pigments: watercolor paint, acrylic paint, ink, mediums, pastels, dye, and powdered pigments
- Papercrafts: cardstock, adhesives, glue, stamps, washi tape
- Easels and stretched canvases
- Polymer clay
- Beading: beads, cord, wire, tools and mats
Funk Haus offers birthday parties, after school clubs, and “Freestyle Fridays”.
Check out their website for their complete online store as well as their current workshop offerings.
Sew Creative Chalet
📍Kimberly, BC
Since ’91, Sew Creative Chalet has been Kimberly’s #1 quilting and sewing resource, and it’s easy to see why. Run by a local mother-daughter duo, Sew Creative has all sorts of fabric, yarn, trims, and threads to create lasting expressions of your creative passions! They also have a state of the art quilting machine for those who prefer to be the inspiration behind project and leave the production to the pros.
Eye of the Needle
📍Fernie, BC
The Eye of the Needle is located within Fernie Forge. The Fernie Forge is a blacksmithing shop that sells handcrafted metalworks, decor, and sculptures that incorporate glasswork and felting into their designs.
Sharing the upstairs of this neat heritage building is The Eye of the Needle, a felting and yarn studio offering specialty yarns and felting classes. They have some seriously cool yarns here! We’ve never seen wool made from 100% milk or nettles before, but those are offered alongside other precious wools such as alpaca wool made harvested from their own animals. Gardeners might want to pick up some of their natural wool pellets – a natural repellant for pest such as slugs!
Fernie Stationers Office and Art
📍Fernie, BC
More than just an office supply store, Fernie Stationers has a great selection of painting supplies: watercolour, acrylic, and oil paints, as well as an assortment of canvases, papers, and brushes. They also carry supplies for scrapbooking and counter cross stitch, and host occasional community events such as paint nights as a way to meet fellow art enthusiasts and get introduced to new skills.
That’s it – all the arts and crafts stores in the kootenays! Do you know of one that isn’t on the list? Let us know on social media and we’ll be sure to add it!
