Minnetonka's Landing Shop sells items made by residents ages 55 to 96

Handsewn doll clothes. Embroidered dishtowels. Crocheted stuffed animals. Wooden charcuterie boards. Jewelry, purses, slippers, toys, pottery, greeting cards, lawn ornaments ... whew! That's just a start.

The shelves and tables of the Landing Shop in Minnetonka are packed with the sorts of handmade items you'd have trouble finding unless your grandparents made them. Everything in the shop is crafted by about 60 Minnetonka residents, ages 55 to 96.

"This has been one of the most fulfilling things I have ever done," said Geri Broome, president of the crafters' group and the shop's display manager.

The shop started in 1975 at a church in Minnetonka. Several years later, it moved to the Minnetonka Mills area. In 1995, at the request of the crafters, the Minnetonka City Council authorized the city to begin operating the store through its Senior Services department. In 2010, the shop moved to the Westridge Market, near the intersection of Interstate 394 and Hopkins Crossroad, where it's open Thursday through Saturday from noon to 5 p.m.

The holidays are the store's busiest time, Broome said. This year as of mid-December, the store had taken in about $20,000. In 2019, its most recent full year open, revenues approached $40,000. (It closed during the height of the pandemic.)

Crafters keep the proceeds from their sales, minus 30% that goes to the city. Those who volunteer in the store only pay 10% to the city. For some members, Broome said, it represents a significant part of their income.

The group's second-oldest and longest-serving member, 94-year-old Sylvia Rick, joined in 1989. She crochets pillows, hats and toaster covers and makes a loop onto kitchen towels so they can be hung on cabinet doors. She doesn't need the money, she said, but enjoys the hobby.

"As we get older, we want something to do," she said. "My mother always said it's good to be busy with your hands."