In January 2024, Megan Locker of Pembroke hit record on a TikTok series she thought might resonate with a few people. What she didn’t expect? That a personal experiment in cutting back on overconsumption would spiral into a sold-out statewide Craft Club.
“I did this whole series on Confessions of an Over-Consumer—just talking about my relationship with money, my relationship with buying way too much junk, my personal feelings on how much (it’s) bad for the environment, but also for our mental health and our financial health,” Locker said.
Instead of continuing to spend, she started to reflect. And post. Her videos became an unfiltered chronicle of debt, personal growth, and shifting her mindset. “I had $30,000 of credit card debt a year ago,” she said.
Instead of shame, she approached it with honesty and compassion in her videos, which have now garnered over 100,000 followers.
And then one day on a whim, she posted a video saying, “I wish I had a book club… but for crafting.” The response? Immediate and massive. “That video probably got over 100,000 views,” she said.
So, she created it.
New Hampshire Craft Club launched in May with in-person events that now run four times a month in Concord, Hampton Falls, and Londonderry. Every event is capped at around 25 people and sells out.
“I have people that are like, ‘Can you come to the western part of the state? Can you come more north?’ And absolutely, I want to do that so badly,” Locker said.
Craft Club projects have included everything from mosaic art and floral arranging to charm bracelets and candle painting. Locker gathers ideas from Pinterest, TikTok, and her mom—an early childhood educator who’s been crafting with Locker since long before strangers joined in.
Bailee Wallace was one of the first attendees. She heard of Craft Club on Locker’s TikTok and hit the “like” button.
“I have my notifications set to hear whenever she posts a new event,” Wallace said. “I might be her biggest fan—this is one of those things you see online and say ‘oh, I wish I could go to something like that,’ but it’s actually real and happening down the road from me.”
Locker’s mom Jennifer Dumont said she’s a behind-the-scenes supporter.
“Megan is very social and loves meeting new people,” Dumont said. “We love crafting so to put both together, I thought was a fabulous idea.”
While Locker still balances a corporate real estate job, her social media presence, and Craft Club all at once, it’s clear where her passion lies.
“In a perfect world, that would be my day job,” she said of Craft Club. “Renting a space right on Main Street in Concord and having, like, an adult arts and crafts studio for people to just come in off the street… that is like the dream that I think I’m always going to be working towards.”
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