NO LONGER HAS STOREFRONT!!! BE CRAFTFUL IS NOW MOBILE!!! THIS POST IS HERE FOR HISTORICAL PURPOSES, PLEASE VISIT SITE HTTP://WWW.BECRAFTFUL.COM FOR MORE INFO. WE WILL MISS THE FANWOOD LOCATION!
Editor’s Note: This winter we are focusing on new indoor places to play and create! Our first crafty pick is Be Craftful, owned by Amy Bohoff, a longtime Fanwood resident. Amy has always been active on twitter, and our paths crossed in the social media world. So glad to check out her new business (about 6 months old right now). What sets her store apart is the versatility of the “craft pit” which allows kids an open play kind of outlet, instead of a structured commitment to a “class”. On with the review!
Located on 250 South Avenue, Be Craftful opened about 6 months ago, summer of 2013, in a great location in downtown Fanwood. The train station is so close, as well as a bagel place, pizza place and a very cool coffee place we stopped in while we were there.
When you enter “Be Craftful, there is a store section to your left, and the craft pit is to your right. Â The sitting fee is $10, and then you pay for what craft you would like to do ranging from $2.99- $10.
Hours from their website: “HOURS: M-F: 10AM-6PM
WEEKEND HOURS – PLEASE CALL IN ADVANCE, CRAFT-PIT MAY BE CLOSED FOR PRIVATE PARTIES.
SATURDAY: 10AM-5PM Â Â Â Â SUNDAY: 11AM-4PM”
You should make sure you check their schedule to make sure there hasn’t been a party reserved, Amy will update it regularly. Â This is a great place to get a personalized picture frame for Grandma, or some cool masks and wands for your kids to pretend play with. Â Amy is great at exploring new products to add to her inventory. Â There are plenty of great crafts to pick from for all ages. Â We even picked up a paw print mold gift set for a close friend.
Walking into Be Craftful, my daughter was so excited that she was there to paint and use glitter. Â Although we are usually pretty crafty at home, we don’t really use glitter, and it’s nice to have a place you can drop in and let the kids make a mess and not worry about cleaning up. Â One of the other highlights of this place is that you can drop off the kids (ages 6+) for an hour while you run errands or meet up with a friend for coffee. Â If your kids are younger, I would definitely recommend stopping at Maras for a treat before you go home. Â They have coffee and lots of cool cupcakes.
This is also not just for girls, they have plenty of crafts for boys too. Â We went on a day my sons had school so we look forward to returning and will report what their experience was like as well!
I also was able to do some Christmas shopping too, this is the perfect place to pick up a birthday gift or even plan a party.
Make a Day of It: We loved taking a train ride with the kids to get to new places, especially when the weather warms up, and this is a great stop (Raritan Valley Line, Fanwood Station). In the warmer weather, La Grande Park isn’t too far either, that boasts a great playground with sandbox and swings! Our full post is here.