Meg Locker has joked about having a space in Concord for NH Craft Club ever since she began the group a year and a half ago. And each time she mentioned it, the desire grew more real.
It started with a question posed on social media. Locker asked if people wanted to come together and craft.
She had been looking for sources of community. As an adult, it’s hard to make friends, she said, and joining a running club or a book group didn’t call to her in the same way.
She found that other people felt the same way. Now, many months later, after numerous crafting events held in collaboration with various businesses across the state, Locker has found a space for her group to call home — a studio right on Manchester Street.
“Did I expect it? No. Did I want it? Yes,” said Locker, who lives in Canterbury. “It was always like, if the right space comes around, I want to be able to jump on that opportunity.”
She’s been traveling multiple weekends per month to bring her workshops to Boscawen, Londonderry, Hampton Falls, Brookline and White River Junction, Vt.
The rotating locations make crafting accessible to people across the Granite State. Locker also works to keep the activities fresh. From pottery and block printing to mosaic trays and beaded plants, she selects crafts that people may not pursue at home, given the niche supplies required. The goal is for people to explore as many niche areas as possible.
Locker plans to continue traveling with her workshops but will hold sessions in Concord, too, especially on weeknights when people are looking for third spaces to dwell.
“Crafting is a secondary to wanting to build this community and form friendships,” Locker said in the spring. She said she has seen many friendships blossom during her sessions.
Locker works in real estate by day, and dedicates much of her spare time to preparing for the various workshops. Having her own studio will make all the organization and preparation much easier, she said.
This space is the second one she’s pursued. The first, in Eagle Square, fell through after proving to have serious accessibility concerns. But right around that time, Locker heard about an available unit at 117 Manchester St.
Since signing the lease, she’s been a mixture of nerves and excitement.
“There’s something nerve-wracking about starting an endeavor where it’s your face and your name behind all of it,” she said. “There’s responsibility, and I just want to make sure that we’re offering the best to everyone that walks through our doors.”
Still, this has been her dream for a while. Someday, she aspires to make Craft Club her full-time job.
Before opening her doors on Manchester Street, Locker is working on ADA accessibility and decorating the space to feel as whimsical, colorful and inviting as possible. She has started tearing out the carpets and has a whole vision for making every surface feel cozy.
“Whenever the space is ready for the public to join us, I want to make sure that we already have a full calendar ready to go, so people can jump in wherever they feel most comfortable,” she said.
Locker hopes to open the Manchester Street studio in October, but said the actual date will depend on how quickly she can progress in the space.
For more information, visit nhcraftclub.com.
