I’m a closeted crafter. With my secret stash of rhinestones, buttons, felt, and trusty hot glue gun I can make a snazzy handbag to rival the ones you get at the fake market. Okay not really, but my birthday cards are awesome!
Back home I never really had time to flex my crafting skills and it was only during Christmas time that I found myself making really awesome projects. One year my husband and I thought we’d skip the expensive presents and see if we could both keep under a $20 budget. Every year since then we’ve tried to put more and more presents under the tree while still keeping to that budget. The fun competition means I got to craft, a lot. Everything from cufflinks to a very manly leather diaper satchel (which Ben firmly declared to look like a women’s clutch and then conveniently “lost” it).
When we moved to Shanghai (and before I discovered the greatness that is Taobao) half the things I really wanted I just couldn't find for a good price. And then, to make matters worse, I ran into the big problem of finding the things to make the things I wanted to make! It’s like a vicious cycle. That’s when my friend Sarah clued me into this magical place we call the arts and crafts market! Seriously there is a market for everything in this city. Its actual name is the Shanghai Culture Commercial Center. Yup, makes no sense.
Located directly across from the Shanghai Foreign Language Bookstore on Fuzhou Lu, the arts and crafts market is ingeniously camouflaged as a stationary store. This is how they keep the riff raft out - you know, the ones who like to macramé. Up two flights of escalators and you’ll find on the upper two floors a wonderland full of paint supplies, fancy paper, canvas, easels, glitter, play dough and much more!
It’s a serious time suck for me since when I get in there I feel like Martha Stewart on speed thinking of a million different projects at once and wondering if I can fit a giant easel that I don’t, BUT DO need into the car. The craft market works like every other market in Shanghai where you can bargain but don’t expect them to budge a lot on price unless you’re buying in major bulk; but everything is cheap anyway so whatever. Since discovering the craft market I’ve made a bunch of stuff for the kids rooms including the mobile that hangs over Oren’s bed, a mobile for Kai’s room, Oren’s Halloween costume last year and paintings that hang in both kids’ rooms.
Between the craft market and Pinterest, I will rule the whole world with a glue gun and pipe cleaners as my weapons of choice! So, if you are struggling finding things here – my one challenge to you is to try to make it yourself! What Shanghai might lack in the perfect pieces of decor, it certainly has everything you need to DIY. Next, I’m going to make a chaise. And by chaise I really mean sandwich. Cause I’m hungry and a chaise seems wicked hard to do.
xo
Niki
// Nicole Chia is Urban Family's new mom blogger. Check out her insight into family life in Shanghai every week on www.urban-family.com. Read her previous post here.
