Jennifer Cox, an avid crafter who recently returned to Cincinnati, was looking for a community and space to feel at home as a maker. But when she couldn't find what she was looking for, she decided to take matters into her own hands.
Cox recently opened Make.Do, a craft store in Pleasant Ridge that offers fabric, yarn and fiber along with DIY digital projects and in-person events. During the pandemic, the community was virtual, but Cox has since reopened her brick-and-mortar at 6200 Montgomery Road.
Along with creating a space welcoming to crafters — both beginners and experts — she also wanted to make sure it was inclusive and equitable to all.
“Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), LGBTQIA communities, and people on the margins in general are creating amazing art for themselves, often on their own. There are knitters, sewers, designers, and artists that yearn for connection with each other, and that others should know about, but many don’t,” Cox says in a release. “I want Make.Do. to show up as a Black-owned business committed to supporting the voices we don’t often hear and support makers by connecting them to new and different communities so we can all benefit from each other’s creativity.”
Cox is also the owner/director of The Ministry of Culture, which helps brands engage with a multicultural audience, and she says "Make.Do. is a physical manifestation of what inclusion looks like in the craft community."
Currently, Cox and Make.Do are offering everything from Yoga classes (both online and in-person) to a bi-monthly book club and make-along fiber projects. The goal is to both provide supplies with a focus on BIPOC and LGBTQIA businesses/brands and bring people together.
Cox says in the release that Make.Do is a "space to come, ask questions and work on current projects with fellow crafters."
Make.Do is open noon-6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. Wear your mask. Private shopping appointments are also available.
For more info, visit heymakedo.com.
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