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One of Ballarat’s most unexpected travel experiences begins in a tiny corner shop tucked into a residential street, inside a beautiful historic building dating back to 1885.

The Crafty Squirrel, the headquarters and studio of maker Morgan Wills, has been part of Ballarat’s creative community for 15 years. From the outside it looks like a charming old corner shop, but step inside and visitors discover colourful fabrics, vintage sewing tools and curious handmade treasures from around the world.

Many people first discover the shop through social media and travel from across Australia and even overseas to visit this little Ballarat destination known for its unique collection of craft treasures — from Japanese kokeshi dolls and handmade tools to vintage European haberdashery.

Over the years Morgan has also hosted textile workshops and creative gatherings in Ballarat, and has been involved in running much-loved community events such as the Ballarat Apron Festival, celebrating the joy of making and sharing handmade traditions.

The shop has also become the starting point for creative journeys beyond Ballarat. For nearly 10 years, Morgan has been taking small groups on carefully curated craft tours to places like Japan, France and Hobart, where guests learn traditional techniques directly from artisans.
From this quiet street corner in Ballarat, creative journeys now stretch all the way to the craft studios of Japan and the ateliers of France.

What began as a love of handmade objects has grown into a vibrant community of makers, collectors and travellers connected through this small but much-loved Ballarat shop.
It’s a little corner of creativity in Ballarat that connects people from around the world — and that’s part of what makes The Crafty Squirrel brilliantly unexpected.