Step into Mission District store Needles and Pens and take a breath of fresh air away from the sea of prefabricated commercialism. The space is painted a brilliant shade of teal and is no larger than an average San Francisco studio apartment. The walls are decorated with a smattering of locally made wears, zines, art and various accoutrements. And at the back of the store is a stark white L-shaped alcove, clean and barren except for an assortment of black and white framed art.

Needles and Pens is one of many examples of the quickly spreading do-it-yourself community. Whether it’s knitting a scarf or creating a local art zine, people across the country make things to escape mainstream cookie-cutter fashion and trends. Websites like Etsy and IBuyDIY make it possible for many of these independent artists to sell their goods and make a living off the craft they love. And now, San Francisco has become a crafty epicenter.

“It’s a reaction to corporate culture,” says Andrew Scott, Needles and Pens co-owner. “Maybe people are sick of the homogenous culture and everything being the same.”

Scott and partner Breezy Culbertson opened Needles and Pens in 2003, after deciding San Francisco needed a place for DIY crafters and zinesters to flourish. Scott came from what he calls “the punk rock scene, the punk rock perspective,” creating zines, while Culbertson was involved in clothing design. The store has an imaginary line drawn down the middle - zines on one side, clothing and accessories on the other; hence the needles for clothing construction, and pens for writing.

“We have a local following. There’s a community feeling, it’s very endearing and warm,” says Scott of his flourishing DIY business, as ten or so customers shuffle around the small store on a dusky Sunday afternoon, picking through hand-screened hoodies and photocopied pages of the latest Cometbus zine. “When we started the store, there wasn’t anything like this in San Francisco at that time.”

Now locally made goods can be found in virtually every neighborhood of San Francisco, whether it be in a Marina boutique or a Union Square street vendor stand. There are even online communities dedicated to connecting local artists and crafters, like the Craft Mafia, which originally started in Texas and inspired others to start chapters in their own communities.

“The point of the Craft Mafia is to be a support group for those with local, crafty businesses,” says Victoria Everman, the founder of the San Francisco chapter (SFCM). “This all leads to fostering a true sense of community among the individuals to both make and buy these unique goods.”

Everman says buying homemade goods is more than just sporting a one-of-a-kind shirt or handspun wool scarf, “Whether you want to or not, you are taking a particular social, political, and economical stance by choosing to make your own items, instead of buying them from some big, faceless corporation,” says Everman.

A place clad with old-school gray metal lockers and a musty aroma, the Craft Gym isn’t a place to sweat it out, but a place to charge creative juices. This Tenderloin District haunt is made for many types of crafters, whether the preferred medium is thread and fabric, sticks and yarn, or a soldering iron and a hunk of sterling silver. Even the manliest of men can walk away feeling accomplished with a set of customized pint glasses in the Etched Barware workshop. In addition to hosting workshops, private craft lessons and parties, the Craft Gym offers patrons the space, tools and storage facilities for works-in-progress.

SFCM held its first ever trunk show at the Craft Gym in November 2006. Fifteen Mafia affiliated members stuffed themselves in the lower level of the Craft Gym, offering handmade gifts; the most tantalizing being the soft, plushy faux meat products from Sweet Meats.

Craft shows run abundant in the Bay Area, including newcomer Artistry, conceived and organized by V. Alexandra de F. Szoenyi, an SF State Senior. The show, dubbed “a mélange of all things art,” showcases photographers, urban-wear designers, handbags and many other goodies at Space, a Tenderloin District two-story gallery that lubes customers’ wallets up with the wine, beer and soju bar on the bottom level.

While many Bay Area crafters thrive as small business owners of DIY goods, Everman argues that it’s not just about making a buck.

“By choosing to make or grow your own goods, you are taking your health and happiness into your own hands,” says Everman. “I may not be the world's best gardener or knitter, but I enjoy doing both and get a lot of satisfaction out of a finished scarf or hand-picked salad.”