On the corner of Georgia Avenue and Geranium Street NW there’s a two-story building that has sat vacant since 2018. That’s changed recently… the building has been brought to life with the opening of Merry Pin on June 15.

Merry Pin is a fun space offering hobby crafters of all ages and experiences the opportunity to craft together with friends and neighbors, take lessons, pick up tools, grab a snack and a coffee, and more.

The shop is an experimental business concept, featuring:

a mix of high end, affordable, and upcycled arts and crafts supplies
crafting workshops and experiences
a lending library
a lounge area
a cafe with empanadas, coffee beverages, cocktails and mocktails, cheese boxes and more to enjoy

The co-owners of Merry Pin — Madeleine, Megan and Michele (who call themselves the “Three Crafty Ms”) — hope that the store encourages more people to connect over creativity and create more than they consume for the sake of health and happiness. They feel that in our hectic and highly-digitized environment, engaging with physical reality is more important than ever.

“We are all avid hobby crafters ourselves and wished that DC had local options to get supplies and to meet up in-person to craft together,” shared Megan, a Petworth resident. “Particularly as people found new hobbies during the pandemic, it felt like such a waste that there wasn’t an inclusive, local space to buy and upcycle materials.”

“Three Crafty Ms” — Madeleine Odendahl, Megan Flynn and Michele Molotsky

Merry Pin wants to be a resource and gathering space for the community, a desire they are hoping to further with the announcement of their Summer Camp.

The week of August 19th, Merry Pin is offering drop-in camp sessions for kids ages 4 to 10. Each day will include arts and crafts, story time, rest time, lunch time, and movement. You can learn more and enroll online.