Chris Deman thinks her generation is finally starting to get it when it comes to crafts.

The 37-year old Lawrence entrepreneur last month opened Crafty & Co., a full-service craft store at 918 Mass.

“I think we finally recognized that there were crafts that were dying as our grandmothers died,” Deman said. “We finally realized that there is a lot of value in making things with your own hands.”

The resurgence in crafting was a big factor in Deman’s decision to open up Crafty & Co., which sells supplies for beadwork, painting, pottery, scrapbooking, needlework and other endeavors.

Deman, who moved to Lawrence from Seattle two years ago when her husband took a job as a brewer at Free State Brewing Co., hasn’t been the only one to notice the crafty ways of Lawrence residents. Michaels, the country’s largest retailer of arts and crafts supplies, opened a Lawrence store earlier this year. Company officials at the time cited a trend of college students becoming more involved in crafting.

Deman, who has been an avid crafter since she was a young girl, said her store attracted a variety of customers, including many younger ones.

“The stigma of crafting being something just for your grandma is starting to slip away,” Deman said. “The kids love it, and I’m amazed at how many single men come in the store.”

Other craft retailers said there seemed to be room in the Lawrence market for the growing number of crafting purveyors.

“Business has seemed to go up even as more stores have opened,” said Clair Roberts, an assistant manager at Hobby Lobby, 1801 W. 23rd St. “I just think there are more people doing it.”

Crafty & Co. owner Chris Deman, left, explains the ins and outs of the Knifty Knitter to Ellen Hernly, 14, of Lawrence, Friday at the store, 918 Mass. The store carries a variety of crafts-related items.

Roberts said she thought newer forms of crafting, like scrapbooking, had drawn more people to the industry. She also said sororities — even some fraternities — were good customers of her store, which bodes well for crafting’s future.

Patty Wilson, a Lawrence resident who started making beaded jewelry about two months ago, said she could see why crafting was becoming more popular.

“It is different than all the bulk merchandise you can buy at the stores,” Wilson said while shopping Friday at Crafty & Co. “It is unique to wear something you have made, and it is a great conversation piece.”