“I’m dropping off the kids…right?” asked the Stroll Lakeside dad who was sure that something with “kids” and “crafts” in the description wouldn’t include “dads.” “Nope, it’s dads’ craft night,” our publisher cheerfully told him. His eyes went wide and then a good natured grimace, “I’m gonna kill my wife.” Of course, he had a great night. No murders occurred. He might even come back. 

 

“It’s always very fun to do art with people but specifically with dads because they sometimes come in and [wonder], ‘What are we doing here? My wife signed me up. I don’t do art,'” Meredith Russell, creative and owner of Craft Theory told us. For this particular event, sponsored by Stroll Lakeside and put together as a craft night for fathers and their children, Meredith shared that “by the end of night the dads were making flowers and getting so into the projects. It’s really fun to see that transformation.” One dad found out that his favorite part about the evening was the joy he saw radiating from his child as they did the crafts together.  

 

That’s what it’s about. Not the activity specifically, though accessing one’s artistic side is important – and kids love it. It’s also about “spending time with their kids doing something that’s interactive,” Meredith explained. “Where they can work on a project and talk to their kid about the project but also it opens up more discussion for other things.” In many cases, a night like this could be a rare opportunity for a busy dad (or any parent) to spend concentrated quality time with his kid. “Hanging with my kid” was the best part, said neighbor Vinayak Rao. 

 

Also, there was food, specifically, the scrumptious pizza and pizza rolls of local favorite, Pizza Pizzaz, owned by Bernard Dolan. “Great food! The pizza bites are terrific!” raved neighbor Tory Foss, who agreed that Craft Theory is an “awesome place for families to learn and have fun.” Owner Meredith, Tory continued, is “incredible and very friendly.” “It’s an awesome space with great people and very fun crafts,” corroborated Zach Paulson. Easy to say that everyone was pleased. 

 

Meredith opened up the Craft Theory brick-and-mortar in 2021, after quitting her then-job to pursue a more creative lifestyle. “I was always pretty creative,” she shared. “I have enjoyed DIY and creativity for a long time, but I didn’t really start painting until 2019” when she took a class and “fell in love.” Craft Theory is a “creative community space,” Meredith said, where they do private events, such as those with Stroll Lakeside, where a group rents the space and engages in a crafting project. It could be “anything from birthdays to baby showers to retirements to corporate events.” They also teach classes and have their own parties. There is also a shop – now exclusively online – where they sell DIY kits made by Meredith and her staff, as well as work by local artists. 

 

Lately, it’s Meredith’s manager, Becky, who oversees things, while Meredith has transitioned into taking care of her mother’s preschool up in Duvall. Meredith still comes down on the weekends, and has come up with some new products, such as an art history subscription box. “I based it off of the afterschool and homeschool programs we’ve been doing, which are very art history based,” she told us. “Each week, we’d talk about a different artist and do a project or two. As I was telling people about them, they said that was so cool - ‘How do we learn about that?’”  The subscription idea came naturally to Meredith, who loves to teach and believes that people love to learn, including learning about art and artists. “Learning about the artists…and how they come from all different walks of life, really shows that artistry is everywhere.” 

 

Neighbor Scott Rathbone loved coming out to our event to support a local business and appreciate the “fluffy dough” used by Pizza Pizzaz. The “creative crafts” that the dads and their kids made were neighbor Charles Lee’s favorite part of the evening, with a side of combination pizza. “The crafts were very fun,” said another neighbor who came out to take part. “It’s really fun to see a community come together,” said Meredith of our Stroll events. It’s different when you have work groups come in because they’re with each other all the time. To have a neighborhood group come in, it’s like, ‘Oh, where do you live?’ ‘Oh, you’re right around the corner!’ You can see the beginning of a friendship blossoming.” 

 

For now, while Meredith works two jobs – and also flips a house! – events at Craft Theory are by appointment only and the retail store is solely online. There is still a lot to enjoy at Craft Theory, with your kids, with friends, with coworkers, and a lot in the works, such as an upcoming painting membership. “The act of creating brings a lot of joy,” said Meredith. “There are so many skills you can gain from creative problem solving. It helps with communication, with mindfulness. Having a creative outlet helps in so many other areas of your life.”  

 

That includes building stronger relationships with your kids on our dads’ night out!