Crafty

 

If you're into handmade, home-made, and house-made crafts, there's a new place to visit. Crafted occupies a long, low, wooden warehouse in San Pedro, at the Port of Los Angeles.

Inside the space is divided into market stalls, which are rented to artists and craftspersons. Crafted has been open since last summer.

The idea is great, though there are still quite a few empty stalls. The space is beautiful, with wood beams overhead. Red-painted picnic tables and Adirondack chairs dot the space, welcoming shoppers to sit, relax, and enjoy snacks purchased from food trucks parked outside.

Here's an introduction to some of the vendors at Crafted:

2 Market Street - this retired couple works together. She makes aprons. He makes handmade cookie cutters. You can get almost any shape imaginable.

At World Flavorz Spice & Tea Company, the teas and spices are displayed in bowls that invite shoppers to breathe in the wonderful aromas.(Buyers are given packaged spices).

Tish and Peggy share a stall, where they sell jewelry and hand-knitted accessories. Their stall is so attractively arranged, with such clever displays that I commented on it. Peggy laughed and told a story about how her husband once described her decorating style as "epileptic" - his listener corrected him. "Don't you mean ecletic?" "No," he said, "it looks like it was done in spasms."  I bought a pretty pair of earrings.

At the Krazy Korner stall, Keith Schafer's colorful and punk-inspired glassworks stood out from the more subdued and tasteful surroundings. From a booth lined with old LP album covers, the brilliant colors popped. His mom was manning the stall when I visited.

The Red Car Market is a space that carries artisanal foods made by several craftspersons. Jarred salsas, bottled hot sauces, and relishes are offered. I bought a jar of San Angel mole, and some strawberry/hot chile jam.  Did you know you can buy cake in a jar? Cakebar sells spirit-infused goodies.

Paradise Preserves offers jams, jellies, preserves and other delicious jarred goodies. 

The warehouse is so vast that one half is walled off and rented as an event space. When I was there, preparations for a wedding were taking place.

On weekends, live music adds a festive feeling to the space. Different food trucks are invited to the parking lot outside the big warehouse doors.  It's the kind of place where vendors and customers greet one another like old friends.

If you wanted to take your hand-crafted business to the next level, it's worth looking into Or, if you're looking for unique handcrafts in Southern California, it's worth a visit.