PROSPECT HEIGHTS — Welcome to Planet Cute.
A new gift and crafting shop officially opened on Washington Avenue this weekend, bringing an eclectic mix of artwork, clothing, knick-knacks, art supplies and arts-and-crafts classes to a Prospect Heights storefront.
The shop, Planet Cute, began last year as a pop-up in Park Slope, said co-owners Mei-Ling Hyler, an expert knitter, and Ariel Munzer, an Etsy artist, baby clothes designer and all around “compulsive maker of things,” Hyler said.
The pair opened the store in its permanent location June 1 (their grand opening party was Saturday), stocking it with all kinds of handmade and one-of-a-kind items — like knitted hats, wall hangings or jewelry decorated with mini hot dogs and pizzas — they made themselves or by other “small artists,” Munzer said.
“We reached out to all our friends and said ‘You make awesome things. Do you want to sell them at our store?’” she said.
The result is a chock-full shop and event space that may look like a kids' store at first, but definitely has an edge for grown-ups. Adult offerings include a necklace designed with doughnuts that spell out the words “give no f--ks” and BYOB weekday drop-in crafting classes, held every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 6 to 9 p.m.
“There’s things that obviously appeal to kids … but there’s a lot of things that [adults] get on a higher level,” Munzer said. “Kids will drag their parents in here, but then the parents will end up buying things for themselves.”
About a third of the shop is used for events, available for birthday parties or other gatherings or as the scene for a variety of classes scheduled through the end of August, including an all-ages terrarium workshop ($30), “Sugar Skull Art” ($20) and beginner knitting for teens and adults, taught by Hyler.
“I love to knit, so you can hang out with me [and] ask me questions. If you don’t know how to knit, I can definitely get you started,” she said.
Planet Cute is open every day from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 704 Washington Ave.
