‘A little magical’: Secondhand art and craft supply shop thriving in Saskatoon

In the heart of Saskatoon’s Riversdale neighbourhood lies a colourful shop with impressive window displays.

The store’s name – Nefelibata Arts & Crafts – displayed in large, orange letters often draws questions from shoppers.

“Nefelibata is a Portuguese word. It means cloud-walker, someone with their head in the clouds that walks their own creative path,” explained Shannon Kuehn, the store’s co-owner. “We liked the name, so we kept it.”

The secondhand art and craft supply store on Avenue C South is filled to the brim with treasures.

Ninety per cent of inventory at Nefelibata Arts and Crafts is donated by the community. (Alex Brown/650 CKOM)

Kuehn and business partner Jax McLeod took over the shop from the previous owners in February, and opened the revamped shop to the public in March.

“My own craft room got so full that it actually made more financial sense to buy a whole craft store,” laughed Kuehn.

Kuehn is well-known as a comedian, and already had an established social media presence before taking over the shop. That’s why Kuehn decided to use TikTok to spread the word about their new business.

@roarlaughs

Replying to @bluepaintred Customer Jump Scare at the end lol! #yxe #yxesmallbusiness #yxelocalbusiness #saskatoon #supportlocalyxe #crafts #craftstore #art #vintage #vintagesaskatoon #vintageyxe #nefcommunitycrafts #supersaturdayatnef

♬ original sound – Roar

“I’ve just been having a lot of fun with it, and I get to lean into my little goblin-brain comedy whims,” they laughed. “It’s a really great way to connect with community locally, but also on a grander scale, and kind of put this out there because then a lot of people say ‘Oh, I wish I had this in my city.’”

The TikToks are reaching people well outside of Saskatoon, with customers from around Saskatchewan and other provinces showing up with donations in hand.

Nefelibata Arts and Crafts caters to any kind of crafter, including those who dabble in miniatures. (Alex Brown/650 CKOM)

“We have people like, drive up from Tisdale just to come to us, because they saw us on Tiktok. ‘Oh, we’re coming through from Manitoba, and I saw you on Tiktok. We wanted to stop in. We brought you a donation,’” said Kuehn. “What?! Like, amazing!”

Crafting thrift stores are not a new idea, as similar shops exist in Winnipeg, Vancouver, and Portland. But the crafty community is what sets Nefelibata from the rest.

“There’s not enough third spaces, especially for grownups that don’t rely on going to the bar or something like that. We’re trying to do a lot more crafty community building,” Kuehn said.

Nefelibata is filled from floor to ceiling with bits and bobs, from beads and yarn to vintage toys and ephemera.

Nefelibata Arts and Crafts prides itself on being “an eco alternative to always buying new.” (Alex Brown/650 CKOM)

When it comes to finding exactly what you’ll need for your own next project, Kuehn said the odds are good you’ll something that will work inside the store.

“This place is a little magical in that if you say it out loud in here, it often appears within the next week,” mused Kuehn. “I once had the audacity to say out loud that I couldn’t keep embroidery hoops in stock. We got at least eight to 12 donated for the next week and a half.”

There is also space in the shop to host community craft nights, where people are invited to bring a project they’re working on and socialize with other creative minds.

“I can only watch Pride and Prejudice so many times in a row while I’m working on my own project, so sometimes it’s nice to come and talk to other people about Pride and Prejudice,” Kuehn joked. “Bring your own project. Just vibe and work on your project and have a nice time.”

“It’s actually named after my grandma, because she was who got me crafting,” said co-owner Shannon Kuehn, in front of The Rose Gallery inside the shop. (Alex Brown/650 CKOM)

Nefelibata’s inventory is almost entirely donated. Kuehn and McLeod make a few purchases from wholesalers or estate sales, but 95 per cent of the materials in the shop come from the community.

“We get people rocking up in minivans with their late mother’s sewing room, full of just amazing fabric and yarn,” said Kuehn.

Keeping art supplies and crafting material from becoming waste is one of the goals of the new owners.

“A big part of our core concept is the sustainability,” they explained. “We very much promote that circular economy, trying to keep as much stuff out of the landfill as we possibly can.”

Read More:

• Saskatoon’s Pitchfork Market + Kitchen permanently closes its doors
• Asquith school saves parents time, cash by buying bulk supplies
• Meet the Saskatoon artist preserving the dying art of bobbin lace

Between opening the stop, dealing with a vandalized front window, and sorting leftover merchandise, Kuehn and McLeod are ready to step into the market space.

Nefelibata is hosting “A Crafty Crew Winter Market” on November 23 and 24 at the Cosmo Senior Centre on 11th Street East, with local artists and makers ready to sell their creations.

Kuehn said it’s “just another way we can bring up community, help promote and hype up local artists and makers, and just kind of build that.”