What if you could craft among the lake breezes and rustling leaves of rural Michigan? Gather around a campfire with crafty friends, old and new? Fill an entire weekend with the creativity and companionship of a Small Craft get-together? It's the dream of many a Southeast Michigan crafter. And at Craft-A-Way Camp, the dream will come to life!
On June 23 and 24, we'll make our home at the Waterloo Recreation Area, the largest state park in the Lower Peninsula. We'll sleep in a pair of rustic bunkhouses. We'll craft, hike, and swim amid 20,000 acres of woods and water. There will be grownup takes on all the popular camp activities, from nature walks and picnic lunches to campfire songs and s'mores. But at this camp, the focus will be on the crafts!
So fill the woods with the beauty of your work, and your work with the beauty of the woods. Join us at the campfire, and add your voice to the song. For one weekend, at least, life can be all about sharing your creativity with your friends. For life - like a craft, or a trail through the wild - is whatever we choose to make it.
Your Hosts
Since 2011, Small Craft has been providing opportunities to meet friends, make crafts, and share skills. Craft-A-Way Camp is the most in-depth and well-loved of these gatherings, but it is far from the first! For three years, Small Craft hosted a monthly series of creative workshops, which featured crafty vendors, vegan treats, and special surprises. Participants enjoyed every comfort, from a kids' lemonade stand to a French pop concert, and practiced every craft, from healing with herbs to dyeing with rust. These events had something of a cult following, and are still fondly remembered for their adventurous spirit and relaxed atmosphere. (Not to mention their delicious apple cider donuts!)
Small Craft is the creation of Amy and Ethan Cronkite. Amy was a founding member of Handmade Detroit, and an organizer of the Detroit Urban Craft Fair, Michigan's largest and longest-running indie craft fair. At Craft-A-Way Camp, she combines her event planning experience with her love of the Michigan outdoors.
Ethan has brought a librarian's viewpoint to his many years of participation in Detroit's DIY counterculture. He's known for having co-founded the Idle Kids and Trumbullplex zine libraries. And for having booked numerous all-ages punk shows, that also included crafts, food, and coffee. Craft-A-Way Camp continues Ethan's commitment to independent creativity and local community.