When it rains on vacation many get creative at do-it-yourself craft studios

Rain doesn't spoil vacation for the Benoit family of Springfield, Ill.

It gives them an excuse to get creative at the Express Yourself Art Barn near Saugatuck, Mich. The family always carves out time to work on craft projects at the studio and let the children make souvenirs, said their mother, Peggy Benoit.

Travellers around the country are slotting time in their vacation itineraries for making art. They're beading necklaces in Wilmington, N.C., painting coffee mugs in St. Augustine, Fla., and making candles in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains. Projects typically range in price from $5 to $75.

"Creating a personalized souvenir is a great reminder of your trip," said Heather Hunter, spokeswoman for AAA in Heathrow, Fla.

It's also something to do on a rainy day, of which there were many this summer across much of the country.

Art Barn owner Carole Selner worried that the ailing economy would hurt her business, but sales were up.

She offers an array of projects designed to appeal to different ages and interests. Visitors can paint ceramics or silk scarves, build a birdhouse or make jewelry, among other projects.

"So many families have such busy lifestyles," Selner said. "Taking time to express their creative side is something they don't have time for in their regular life."

Benoit likes to see her daughters, Lizzy, 8, and Anna, 11, painting projects at the Art Barn. During a recent visit, Lizzy decorated a ceramic moon while her sister created an underwater scene on a platter. Selner fires the pieces for customers. The Benoits usually display their artwork at home on a wooden fence that rings their pool.

It helps them remember Saugatuck, a resort town with many art galleries on the western coast of Lake Michigan.

"We love the art aspect of Saugatuck," said Benoit. "It's fun to actually do art, rather than just look."

Visitors to East Stroudsburg, Pa., jump at the chance to create their own memento, and like the idea of an activity for all ages, said Vicki Cobb, owner of Pocono Candle. Many tourists return to the candle shop every summer during their vacations, and parents enjoy watching their children's artistic talents mature, she said.

"As they get older, they become more creative," she said.

In Wilmington, N.C., tourists often choose to string seashells or locally made beads into necklaces, earrings and bracelets to remind them of their trip, said Valerie Fountain, manager of Caravan Beads.

"They really like to be able to design a custom piece, often beach-themed," she said. "It's very special to have something they designed themselves."

The shop attracts people with varying levels of jewelry-making experience, Fountain said. Some beading enthusiasts arrive in town intending to visit the store. Other people wander in while shopping at the historic Cotton Exchange, the former hub of the city's cotton industry. The store usually benefits from bad weather.

"We can guarantee if it's raining, we're going to be really busy," Fountain said.

That's also how Paula Paglione and her daughter, Ariana, of Sparta, N.J., ended up painting pottery last summer at Puddy Mud in St. Augustine, Fla. Ariana, 17, painted a coffee mug that she now uses all the time, said Paglione, who made a plate that she saves for special occasions.