The memories of taking trips to JOANN with my mom when I was a kid remain crystal clear in my mind. I can still remember the butterflies of excitement and anticipation that ran through me whenever my mom asked me to join her. Young Kate in a JOANN store was practically the equivalent of your average kid in a candy store. I’m 100% positive I looked like a walking heart-eye emoji as I browsed the aisles, dreaming of my next creation. I’m sure many of you have similar memories.

I still feel that same rush of adrenaline today whenever I visit a JOANN. In fact, the ladies at the Roseville location have started to recognize me. Quite honestly, the excitement has only amplified through the years with the expansion of JOANN’s product offering. It’s always exciting when you see a company like JOANN reinvent themselves with both their longtime and future customer in mind, and there has never been a more exciting time to be a DIYer. The internet has connected all of us and its never been easier to find the right tips, tricks, and tutorials from this incredibly innovative (and scrappy!) online community. Now armed with all these new resources, I still turn to JOANN when I am looking to tackle a home decor project or complete a DIY design I find scrolling through Pinterest. I’m not the only one either. With more and more individuals looking to Pinterest for inspiration, JOANN is tracking the trends, providing shoppers with all the tools they need. To do so, they have partnered with Pinterest and a handful of *Pinfluencers* (that’s me) to stay on top of the latest and greatest ideas filling your feed.

My personal fav weapon of destruction found at JOANN: the Cricut. If you are not familiar with the Cricut, it is essentially a die cutting machine that reads digital files and cuts with the precision you would expect from an industrial machine. Since I first starting working with the Cricut, I have designed a multitude of creations including prints, stickers, vinyl lettering, and more. No joke, I am so obsessed that I even transport the printer-sized machine to and from the studio on a daily basis. It has totally changed the way I design and prototype my products.

Once JOANN got wind of my Cricut obsession, they invited me to teach a class to entrepreneurs at their new innovation store in Columbus, Ohio. I shared a few of the many ways the Cricut can help bring a brand to life. Little secret, it’s not as complicated as you think. For tips and tricks on how I like to utilize my Cricut to improve W&D, watch my class on Facebook.

The store itself is completely reimagined with the maker in mind. Whether you are browsing florals for a centerpiece, working on a quilt, learning to watercolor, or starting your own bakery, the flagship store has broken down the barriers between shopping and crafting, allowing customers to hone in on their medium and test products before purchasing. At the center of the space is the Creator’s Studio, where weekly workshops and product demos are hosted. There’s even complimentary Starbucks and cookies available for anyone who wants to hang out and craft all day.

These changes will be rolled out to select locations throughout the year, and while you might have to wait a while before you can step into a newly imagined space, you can always visit them online or on Pinterest to benefit from the knowledge and expertise the JOANN team puts out into the world.

As I said earlier, it’s never been easier and more gratifying to make something by hand. I’m so glad JOANN is there to make it possible.

Ed. note: This post was sponsored by JOANN. The compensation received in exchange for placement on Wit & Delight is used to purchase props, hire a photographer, write/edit the blog post and support the larger team behind Wit & Delight.

While compensation was received in exchange for coverage, all thoughts and opinions are always my own. Sponsored posts like these allow for the development of additional dynamic content to be produced, unsponsored. Thank you for supporting our partners!