Forget bars, Philly’s favorite new night out is craft night

Growing up in Berks County, Maddie Seidel spent her childhood crafting with her mom and siblings — finger painting one day, making friendship bracelets the next. After moving to South Philadelphia last year, she started scrapbooking and junk journaling with friends — and soon, an idea sparked.

“I’d seen social clubs in other cities and thought, why not start one here?” said Seidel, 25.

When she floated the concept on TikTok last spring, the response was overwhelming: more than 600 RSVPs, and 300 people at the first event. She called it “Dessert Before Dinner.” By July, she had quit her job in a physical therapy office to run it full-time.

The club’s free, outdoor “bring your own craft” meetups remain the most popular. “People often come alone, nervous, and end up leaving with new friends — which is the best I could hope for,” Seidel said. She also partners with local businesses on smaller events, like a recent Craft Café at People’s Gallery Project that featured specialty drinks and treats. At its core, she wants the club to feel like a safe space — “welcoming to everyone, including queer and nonbinary community members.”

And it does.

The Craft Café was the first event Elisa Sarmiento, 32, of Rittenhouse, attended. “I wanted to get out of the house and meet some new friends,” she said. “Everyone is warm, welcoming, and super sweet,” said Hannah Slater, 21, of West Grove, who drove an hour to the venue.

Dessert Before Dinner is one of several craft-based communities fueling what feels like a citywide renaissance of DIY culture. “People are yearning for hobbies that get them out and socializing — especially since so many young people aren’t drinking anymore,” said Katie Nist of Elektra Vintage in Old City. “Crafts are an easy, inexpensive outlet that let you be creative while also meeting new people.”

When Monique Means, 30, of Marlton, N.J., returned to Philly after a brief stint in Albuquerque, N.M., she realized she didn’t want to open another yoga studio — she wanted to build community. The idea for Let Me Know Club came to her in a dream, she said. “Connection often happens through simple text messages — like when you tell a friend, let me know if you want to hang out. I wanted to take that casual invitation and turn it into something intentional,” she said.

The club launched in February 2024 with a “platonic speed dating” night at Shot Tower Coffee. Today, with coleaders Sydney Lamoureux and Jasmine Aggarwal, it hosts 10—15 events a month — everything from creative workshops to social mixers — drawing hundreds through open sign-ups and social media. Many of those gatherings are collaborations with local artists, musicians, and small businesses — a way of keeping each event fresh while spotlighting Philly’s creative talent.

“Philly is such a maker city,” Means said. “There’s this collaborative spirit where artists and community spaces overlap. While it’s a big city, it feels small and connected.”

At the club’s recent Fall Vision Board Night, members gathered to cut, paste, and map out their goals for the season. “It’s cool to be around so many like-minded people,” said first-timer Jasmine Knostman, 24, of South Philly. And for Aggarwal, 26, of Callow Hill, it’s the low-pressure spirit: “This is about play, about experimentation, not perfection.”

That spirit of play also drives artist Holly Simple, of South Philly, whose signature trinket bar events invite people to make bracelets, key chains, and more, from charms she sources secondhand.

“What keeps people coming back,” she said, “is the chance to find a treasure — something that lights up their brain, reminds them of childhood joys like glow-in-the-dark stars or Polly Pocket.”

Shops like Moon + Arrow in Queen Village host her meetups regularly. “[Holly’s] trinket bar is whimsical, handmade, and brimming with personality — it invites people to slow down and interact with art in a tactile, intimate way,” said manager Emily Hawkins. “She’s curated such an amazing selection, and we share a customer base of people looking for something truly special,” said Kelly Braun, who owns At My House in Queen Village.

Her shop, too, hosts craft workshops to liven up slow winter months. Her collage nights draw people eager for low-pressure creativity. “Most come on their own but end up making new friends,” she said. “It’s so sweet to see everyone connecting and sharing.”

That craving for offline connection is echoed across the city.

At Old City’s Stickball, the focus is on sustaining the ecosystem that defines Philly’s identity — its art schools, museums, and markets. For Linda Smyth of Casa Vida, which is moving from Old City to Center City, craft is as cultural as it is personal: “In the age of AI, touching tangible creations is incredibly grounding.” And for Dorit Avganim of Manzanita in West Philly, it’s about scale and intimacy: “It’s a big city with reach, but small enough that you actually meet the makers.”

Together, these makers and shop owners are proving that in a world of endless scrolling, Philadelphia’s renaissance is happening not on screens but around tables — one charm, collage, and handmade treasure at a time.

“Philly is more accessible and affordable compared to LA or New York,” said Jurassica McClusky, the content creator behind @froggyhaus. “It draws in creative people who are trying to have some semblance of a creative existence under capitalism.”

For Means the draw runs even deeper. “When so much is being taken away from us every day, people are leaning into crafting because it’s something they made with their own hands. Their identity is woven into it,” she said.

“People are realizing they want to make more than they consume. To be able to hold something and say, ‘I made this’ — that feels really special.”

The article has been updated with the correct name of the content creator behind @froggyhaus. Her first name is Jurassica.