There’s an old saying that chopping your own wood warms you twice. Similarly, making something with your own hands satisfies you twice. Whether it’s a cozy sweater, a scrapbook full of memories or a beautiful piece of jewelry, the maker will delight not only in ownership of the item but will also have the satisfaction of the creative process and a sense of accomplishment. Crafters today have a vast array of possibilities open to them, and the Greater Lansing area is a good place to explore some of those options.

Walk into Threadbear Fiber Arts Studio and the temptation is irresistible: You just have to start touching things. Wool, silk, angora, cashmere, multi-strand, multi-color, soft as a baby’s breath or coarse and hearty, thin as a spider web or super bulky, all colors of the rainbow and then some, imported from Italy or woven on a local loom, beaded, cabled … the appeals to the eye and the outstretched hand go on and on. No wonder so many knitters start with the idea of “maybe a simple scarf for my boyfriend” and just never stop knitting and purling.

Matt Waldrop and Rob Matyska, co-owners of Threadbear, understand the obsession. They both started knitting as children and have turned a hobby into a life’s work. After careers in education, business and computers, they opened a yarn and knitting shop in Columbus, Indiana in 2003. Moving to Lansing in July 2004, they opened the doors to Threadbear soon after, and, as Matyska explained, “It grew like a fat man at a buffet.” With 6,500 square feet jam-packed with yarn, knitting supplies, pattern books and comfy chairs (along with an always hot pot of coffee and a couple of friendly dogs), Threadbear can fulfill the fantasies of even the most passionate knitter.

According to Waldrop, “We don’t just sell yarn here. We have created a wonderful community of people who love to create things. Yes, we sell them their knitting supplies, but we also provide a comfortable place for people to come and knit with others who share their interests. We offer free social events, a full schedule of classes and all kinds of support and assistance for knitters. It’s a comfortable place always filled with fun and wonderful people.”

Matyska added, “We import yarn from all over the world; some of the finest comes from Italy, China, New Zealand and Australia. We also carry everything knitters would ever need, all the way from needles to pattern books to finishing touches like buttons and beads. And, like Matt said, we also offer friendship, camaraderie and a great place to just sit for an hour or two and knit.”

Every Wednesday, the store hosts an all-day “dedicated gaggle of welcoming knitters,” as their website promises. Wednesday evening, dropped stitches and other disasters are addressed in the weekly Knit ER. The first and third Monday evenings see the store filled with creative types who are working on large and complicated projects and looking for a little company and support. Those interested in spinning take over the store on the first Friday of every month, and the first Saturday knitters are invited to bring their projects and enjoy a movie and some refreshments. Other free events include a men’s knitting group, a sock knitters circle and a block-of-the-month club for a blanket project.

And if that’s not enough to keep the avid knitter satisfied, there’s a wide range of classes and workshops offered for projects as simple as mittens, socks and shawls all the way to the more daunting Fair Isle sweaters, pattern design, finishing and advanced knitting techniques.

Throughout the store are finished projects displaying the artistry and craftsmanship encouraged and inspired by Threadbear. Add to this an informative website (with the owners’ delightful blogs), and you have all the ingredients for a thoroughly satisfying pastime.

If ever an activity could be said to sparkle, it would have to be beading and jewelry making. At The Trellis in Mason, Malinda Falardeau, co-owner with husband Richard, brings the art to a growing audience of creative crafters.

“I started out in business planning weddings and special events and gradually added jewelry making to my shop,” Falardeau said. “My daughter, Elena, made jewelry and introduced me to the art. In time, I found that I was just more interested in the jewelry side of the business and began to concentrate on that. This is our third year exclusively in beading in our Columbia Street location, and we are busier than ever. We have three full-time and two part-time employees as well as guest instructors, including my daughter. We offer a full line of jewelry making supplies including semi-precious gems; pearls; Czech glass; Swarowski crystals; and gold, silver and copper beads and accessories.”

“We offer classes like basic stringing, crocheting with beads, pearl knotting and tying, silver art clay and many others designed to get people started and keep them interested in the many different techniques, materials and projects. Besides the classes, we host birthday parties and other special occasion get-togethers. We’ve had bridal parties come in to make jewelry for a wedding, ladies-night-out get-togethers and youth groups like Girl Scouts or 4-H.”

Falardeau keeps her hand in the wedding business; the store has made or helped others make bridal tiaras and beaded veils. Besides weddings, Falardeau is always available for custom orders, working with the client on a design or creating one on her own.

Falardeau contends that there are a couple of misconceptions about beading. “First,” she said, “it isn’t a fad. Beading and jewelry making have been around since the beginning of time, and interest in it will never go away. Second, I don’t consider it a craft; it’s an art. When people say to me, ‘Oh, I’m just not creative enough to do that,’ I tell them that everyone has it in them to be artistic and create beautiful things; they just have to give it a try to find out that they can indeed come up with a piece of jewelry they are proud to wear or give as a gift. And it’s instant gratification! It’s possible to create a beautiful piece in a very short time.”

The Trellis’ customers are welcome to use any of the store’s equipment and tools free of charge if they are just beginning to develop an interest; and, of course, everything a jewelry maker needs is available onsite. Add a little bling to your life, and take the short trip to Mason to browse the beauty that The Trellis has to offer.

Scrapbooking has become hugely popular during the past 10 or 15 years. Literally thousands of people are creating scrapbooks chronicling family life, vacations, holidays and milestones. While scrapbooking used to mean pasting a few snapshots on the pages of a pre-made album, today’s scrapbooker would never dream of doing something so basic. Instead, pages are created using photographs, yes, but also specially designed papers, stickers, ribbons, jewels, glitter, beads, the written word, special borders, corners and frames, die cuts, stamp pads and stampers—everything to create a memory book like no other, not only something that will commemorate but also celebrate and capture every facet of life.

For Pamela Johnson, president and owner of Pages in Time, scrapbooking is not just a business but a passion. “I bought this store seven years ago after years of being a scrapbooker myself,” she said. “And everyone who works here in the store with me is just as enthusiastic as I am about scrapbooking.

“I have a wonderful staff here; they are knowledgeable and helpful and love to scrapbook. Many of them have had articles and ideas published in scrapbooking magazines. They create lots of samples for inspiration, and we all have pages posted throughout the store to show our customers what is possible. We sell absolutely everything a scrapbooker would ever need. Besides that, we offer classes and special events all the way from an introduction to scrapbooking to more advanced techniques.”

During the summer, Pages in Time offers a camp for kids interested in getting involved in scrapbooking.

The store also sponsors frequent “crops,” an opportunity for people to get together to work on their scrapbooks, enjoying the creative process and one another’s company.

Besides scrapbooking, the store also features books, patterns, supplies and materials for many other paper crafts—card making for Christmas and other special occasions, invitations, shadow boxes and other creative uses of paper products to make unique and individual designs.

Johnson and her staff enjoy the groups that come in for instruction and special events like home schoolers, Girl Scouts, wedding and baby showers and school groups. They’re always happy to introduce another generation to the joys of scrapbooking.

Pages in Time annually sponsors a two-day Crop for the American Cancer Society. Raising money for the organization and commemorating family and friends who have struggled with cancer is a meaningful endeavor for both staff and customers. This year’s event will be Feb. 9 and Feb. 10 at the Spring Hill Suites by Marriott in Delta Township.

It’s a product—an intricate and finely crafted garment, a unique album filled with precious memories, a beautiful piece of jewelry. But it’s also a process—an enterprise filled with imagination, creativity and camaraderie. The possibilities are limitless.