“I’ve always gravitated towards anything artistic and creative,” Finch said. “I’m a huge crafter, so that’s kind of where it all began.”
Customers can visit The Creative Pantry website to browse and select from its menu of DIY projects. They make the purchase online and choose a workshop time to come to the studio to make their chosen project. There are three levels of difficulty: It’s a Breeze, Just Right and Bring it On.
Crafters can make and decorate jewelry, wood paintings, wine cork boards, six-pack beer carriers, canvas pillows and birdhouses. Seasonal projects are also added for holidays like Christmas. But the most popular is string nail art. It involves hammering nails into a wood board and wrapping strings around the nails to form a picture.
“[String nail art] is really what we’ve become known for because a lot of studios aren’t doing that,” she said.
Once customers arrive at the studio, materials and instructions are provided to help them through the process. Finch or another instructor will help when crafters need extra guidance. There is a library of designs to provide inspiration, and stencils are available to help recreate the images.
The studio has a BYOB policy, and some customers bring snacks. Branching out, Finch also recently added a candy display in the storefront featuring an array of chocolates, plush toys, and gummy and hard candy.
Finch said she is bolstered each time she sees others enjoy art in a way they may not have experienced before.
“If you’ve ever done any kind of creative, crafting project, there are highs and lows of the whole project,” she said. “Helping [people] through those ‘Oh my gosh, what did I get myself into?’ moments to the final piece of ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I accomplished this in one sitting’—that, I think, is the best part about this.”
The Creative Pantry
120 S. Main St., Ste. 10, Grapevine
817-907-0606
www.thecreativepantry.com
Workshop times: Wed.-Thu. 6:30 p.m.; Fri. 4 p.m., 6:30 p.m.; Sat. noon, 2 p.m., 6:30 p.m.; Sun. noon; closed Mon.-Tue.
