The Crafty Fox has moved to Laurence Street
THE Crafty Fox has moved and is delighted to welcome customers to its new bright and spacious premises on Laurence Street.
The popular award winning craft supply store was started back in 2011 by husband and wife team Jackie and Peter who are both passionate about everything creative.
The shop opened with buttons in jam jars and a much smaller range of goods and has grown organically since then with great help and advice from the staff and an all-round team effort to get the business established.
Last year, the couple took the decision to look for new premises and after nine months of hard work the renovations of the new store was complete and The Crafty Fox made the move from Shop Street to Laurence Street.
Explaining the decision behind the move, Jackie said: ‘ We wanted to get more space and natural light into the store to show off the colours and make it easier for people to see what was on offer.’
The couple worked with Oliver Smyth of Ecostruct, from Clogherhead, to create their dream premises and he proved invaluable in easing the journey through all the building humps and bumps.
‘We also teamed up with Gary Gartland and his team at Enthusia to re-brand, by maturing our logo and putting more emphasis on the ‘Crafty’ than the ‘Fox’ (although I’m sure you won’t have seen the last of Mr and Mrs Fox!),’ added Jackie.
Peter and Jackie came up with the idea for The Crafty Fox after searching for Home Economics supplies for a Junior Cert project their daughter was undertaking.
When the economy took a hit, there was a noticeable resurgence in the popularity of crafting, both as a hobby and necessity as was evidenced by TV programmes like Kirsty’s Handmade series and the Great British Sewing Bee.
‘We felt just selling supplies was not enough. We wanted to show people the versatility of the products and how they could be used, so we married the retail with teaching, and each aspect compliments the other. We built a team of very experienced staff who offer invaluable advice to our customers and tutor many of our courses.
It was easy to get passionate about the business, even though it has been a lot of hard work it has also been a very rewarding experience. We have met so many friendly and supportive people over the years. Drogheda has a lot going for it’
Since moving to Laurence Street, the reaction from customers and neighbouring businesses has been extremely positive.
Jackie and Peter also have plans to enhance the current offerings of the business by showcasing the work of local crafters and providing room rental for workshops and meetings. The new room at the rear of the premises is bathed with natural light and overlooks the courtyard, which will be used to run outdoor events and functions when the weather improves.
The shop has a huge range of stock including fabrics, quilting supplies, wadding, haberdashery, ribbons and trims, buttons, yarn, felt, craft books and much more.
Classes cover a wide range of disciplines, including sewing, quilting, crochet, felting, jewellery making, and general crafts. The emphasis is on small groups, learning new skills and techniques, and having a bit of craic along the way. There are also kids camps during the holidays, and one-to-one tuition for those who prefer more personal attention.
Information on classes is available in store, on the website at www.thecraftyfox.ie and through the quarterly newsletters which customers can sign up to in shop, or online.