Berlin DIY Tour

For issue 65, we‘re going back to our roots. When we launched sisterMAG in 2012, our first travel feature in London was about „do-it-yourself“ stores (you can find the feature here in sisterMAG No. 1). As lovers of handmade things, when we travel we are always on the lookout for beautiful haberdashery and wool stores, craft stores, and stationery stores. 

For the new beginning of this series, we decided to start in our „home“ city of Berlin. You can find here a big map with all stores and addresses that we have compiled with the help of the sisterMAG team and community. You can easily download it to your cell phone while exploring the different neighborhoods of the German capital. Of course, this list is never finished – we’re always adding to the Google Maps  page. Write to us if you know another spot in Berlin that should be on our list! 

Have fun exploring!

CHARLOTTENBURG & SCHONEBERG

For many years now, City West has been the focus of urban development and, thus, home to a wide variety of businesses. City West can also keep up when it comes to „Do it Yourself“ – both with large chains like idee, where you know what to expect, but also with small owner-operated stores that invite you to browse and discover.

Fabric stores & haberdasheries:

1. Hüco Stoffe
2. Schneidersitz
3. Stoff-ideen Berlin
4. YAVAS Schneidereibedarf
5. Knopf & Schnalle

Crafting & Materials

1. StempelBar
2. idee.Creativmarkt Wilmersdorfer Straße
3. Paint your Style Charlottenburg
4. Perlenbar
5. idee.Creativmarkt Tauentzienstraße
6. Hobbyshop Rüther
7. boesner Charlottenburg

Stationery

1. Papeterie Moranga
2. KaDeWe Schreibwarenabteilung

Wool & Yarn

1. Wollschlößchen
2. Lalaine Marion Lange-Köhler

Fewer and fewer specialty stores for haberdashery can be found in Berlin. That‘s why the small store „Schneidersitz“  on Pestalozzistrasse is a real gem. The rooms are packed to bursting with borders, sewing threads, zippers, buckles and, above all … buttons! This store is worth a visit, because you can find treasures that classic department stores no longer carry

MITTE & PRENZLAUER BERG

Of course, our tour also takes us through Berlin-Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg. Here we find not only the beautiful stationery and papeterie store LUIBAN  near the Volksbühne, but many more stores that are worth a visit:

Stationery

1. LUIBAN papeterie
2. R.S.V.P Papier in Mitte
3. Papier Concept
4. Polly Paper

Crafts & Materials

1. boesner Prenzlauer Berg

Wool, yarn & fabrics

1. handmade BERLIN
2. FRAU TULPE STOFFE
3. KNIT KNIT Berlin
4. Yarn Over Berlin
5. Klinta Wolle
6. Loops Wolleladen

KREUZBERG

In Kreuzberg, our tour leads to the traditional wool store Fadeninsel . Here you can find everything you need for crocheting or knitting: Wool in all varieties and colors, needles, instructions and books, hosiery, buttons and much more. Marita, the owner, is so knowledgeable about the beginnings of the thread island in 1985. At that time, the store was  not located far from the Adalbertstraße. In 2002, Fadeninsel then moved to Oranienstrasse 23. Behind the colorful store is a huge warehouse, because as Marita explains, „For a big knitting or crochet project, we always want to have enough wool in any quality there.“ 

You really still have to stop by (or call) Fadeninsel, too, because there is no online store. „You have to touch and feel wool“ – and you can do that in abundance in the well-stocked Kreuzberg handicrafts store!

Stationery

1. Grüne Papeterie

Crafts & Materials

1. modulor
2. CYM Kunst- und Zeichenbedarf

Wool & Yarn/Fabrics

1. Fadeninsel berlin

WEDDING

We could never leave out Wedding. In addition to the beautiful wool store WOLLEN Berlin (somewhat hidden) directly at the S-Bahn station Wedding, our way also leads further north along Wollankstraße. There, at the height of the St. Elisabeth churchyard, is the Clayer‘s Collective. Stefanie Kromei and Sharman Riegger warmly welcomed us into their workshop, which they had renovated and retrofitted themselves. A “joint project” had been their dream for a long time. Then suddenly the opportunity arose for them to take over the pottery workshop in Wedding from the previous owner (“Pottery to the People”), Sharman had already started giving classes there three years ago. For Stefanie and Sharman, the project was a jump into the deep end, as they both quit their jobs and concentrated one hundred percent on Clayer’s.

How did the two get into ceramics?

Shaman completed a three-year ceramic apprenticeship straight out of school. He lost sight of ceramics for a long time due to his art studies and painting, however, the desire to sculpt clay, loam, and water remained. Stefanie studied architecture, but worked as an art director for a long time in the film industry. Approximately three years ago, she discovered her love for ceramics. She worked in”Clayer’s” workshop and was responsible for marketing. She is the designer behind the scenes at Clayer’s!

But what is Clayer’s Collective actually? First of all, it is a club. Members are allowed to utilize the space for their own works. These are hobby ceramicists, but also professionals who make small batches. There are classes, and a pottery firing service for everyone modeling at home; clay for home use is made available.

The Clayer’s Collective classes are tailored to beginners, but also to the more experienced students who are looking for a challenge. There are technically difficult tasks such as teapots and large bowls. Some work is done using a potter’s wheel, but hand modeling at the workbench is also taught.

Of course, one can see and acquire Sharman’s creations at Clayer’s Collective, and those that require a snack after visiting Clayer’s Collective can admire Sharman’s hand-molded teapots at the newly opened Lobe Lokal whilst enjoying a drink.

Yarn & Wool 

1. WOLLEN Berlin

Crafts & Materials

1. ZEICHEN-CENTER EBELING

Pottery & Courses

1. Clayer’s Collective

We hope you enjoyed our little trip through four neighborhoods in Berlin. 

The complete map with destinations – including Makramée store in Neukölln or destinations in Steglitz can be found on Google Maps. There you will find over 50 location pins and can easily display them directly on the map or save them to Google Maps. 

We are looking forward to the next destination that we can explore with you in the sign of DIY! Do you live in a city that we should definitely explore with you? Then let us know and write to mail@sister-mag.com!