A new specialty craft store is set to open in this Columbia neighborhood
A new local craft store, Forest Acres Needlepoint, is set to open this September.
The shop will be located at 2301 N. Beltline Blvd., near the intersection of Forest Drive and next door to the Kroger in Forest Acres.
The shop will offer all the skills and supplies you need to start to needlepoint, said owner Kenzie Newton. This includes everything from needles and thread to painted canvases and needlepoint classes.
Needlepoint is a craft that involves decorative stitching and embroidery onto canvases and other mediums. Common crafts to make include pillows and Christmas stockings.
The craft requires a certain technique but is still beginner friendly, said Newton. For example, Newton’s 11-year-old daughter just mastered some of her first beginner stitches, she said proudly.
It was spending time with her family that helped Newton realize she wanted to open her own business, she said.
Newton used to needlepoint all the time but lost the habit when her children were really young, she said. But while stuck at home tutoring her kids during the COVID-19 pandemic, she picked the craft back up.
She quickly realized there was a need for a needlepoint store in Columbia, as she got tired of driving long distances and shopping online.
Outside of a few chain craft stores in Columbia, the closest needlepoint stores are in Aiken and Rock Hill, according to a Google search.
Additionally, “it’s really hard to shop online,” Newton said, because seeing the correct colors and feeling the threads and fibers is important to needlepoint.
Now, Newton is about two months out from seeing her goal through. Her shop is set to open on Sept. 21, and she is planning an opening week celebration that will include beginner needlepoint lessons.
Check out Forest Acres Needlepoint’s website for the most up-to-date information on the store’s opening and products.
