Algonac artisans will have a new place to get their supplies after Kristy’s Craft Room opens its first brick and mortar storefront in town.
Kristy’s Craft Room — which sells wood and metal cutouts, paints, brushes and other crafting supplies — will open today at 1105 St. Dr. Clair River next to Anytime Fitness.The store is open Monday and Friday from 10am to 3:30pm, Wednesday from 10am to 6:30pm and Saturday from 11am to 3pm
The business started in 2019 when Kristy Bottle launched a Facebook page to share her craft tutorials with others. The page continued to grow, quickly attracting tens of thousands of followers. Bottle first quit her job to run the business, and was later joined by her husband, Tim Bottle, who made woodcarving and ran the business.
The company sells individual wood and metal cutouts and a subscription service that includes monthly craft packs. Subscribers also get access to a Facebook group with a community of artisans. Kristy Bottle says the store has about 1,100 subscribers. To see her shop, visit kristyscraftroom.com/.
The couple also host Facebook Live events, craft tutorials, and monthly craft nights on their Facebook page facebook.com/KristysCraftRoom. As of Friday, the Facebook page had more than 132,000 followers. The company also has more than 2,500 followers on Instagram and 12,600 on TikTok.
The couple started their business out of their home in Clay Township, eventually expanding the space to a barn in their backyard. Once their space outgrew, the couple started looking for space last year and settled at Algonac’s store in September.
According to Kristy Bottle, the new space gives them access to better equipment, which improves efficiency and increases production. The store has enough space for two wood and one metal laser cutters and workstations for storing and packing monthly subscription kits.
Bottle said she also appreciates having a space where she can meet face-to-face with clients and build a personal relationship. She hopes the store will fill the community’s need for quality craft supplies, as the closest craft stores are in Chesterfield or Port Huron.
“Having a real person in front of you…not just hearing them excited about what we have, but seeing them excited, I think it would be fun to have a one-on-one face-to-face experience with our employees,” says Kristy Bottle.
She is also starting a 501c3 nonprofit organization to buy crafts for individuals or organizations in need. Once up and running, Bottle says she plans to collect donations through her website or use proceeds from select crafts to fund nonprofits.
Kristy Bottle has always had a passion for crafts, especially growing up in a family of eight children where money was sometimes too tight to afford expensive gifts.
“When I’m stressed, when I’m in a bad mood, if I start drawing, if I start making something, it immediately lifts my mood, and I know a lot of other creative people can understand that That,” Kristy Bottle said.
The main goal of the company, she said, is to create a positive community that spreads joy through crafting.
“At the end of each day, our biggest goal is to bring positivity to other people’s lives. When we live, it’s about connecting and motivating people.”
Contact Laura Fitzgerald at (810) 941-7072 or lfitzgeral@gannett.com.