You wanna
make something of it.
Making things with your hands and appreciating things made by hand is not a trend but a tradition. When you craft something one-of-a-kind, commission a personal gift, or find a unique item, you demonstrate thoughtfulness and foster connection.
I can make, help you make, or procure something to make an impression, honor an individual, mark an important occasion or celebrate an achievement.
Sustainable Sweaters on Good Morning America
Good Morning America approached Saver's Value Village with the opportunity to highlight shopping secondhand as the most sustainable and creative way to source ugly Christmas and Hannukah sweaters. The challenge was to showcase the most creative examples of customer-crafted sweaters over the years when we didn't have any on-hand.
I was asked to create, or recreate some examples of ugly Christmas Sweaters that can be made from thrifted sweaters and thrifted decor.
The segment garnered national exposure and highlighted employees as well. In all I created 10 unique sweaters inspired by materials found in thrift stores or examples of sweaters from Christmas past. A very merry Thriftmas indeed.
.jpg)
Fascinating and festive
To "come out of the rabbit hole" post-pandemic, friends hosted a Mad Hatter-themed tea party. The assignment was to provide a number of hats, or "fascinators" for guests to add to their outfits. From fancy trims and feathers, to the white pillbox hat made from a sour cream container and a mesh orange bag, these were fashioned from materials I had on-hand and there was something for everyone to try.
Have skirt, well traveled
Assignment: redeploy a collection of pennants into something that can be used versus housed in a storage box. by applying a few stitches and some strategy to the different shapes, I fashioned this Christmas tree skirt worth taking for a spin.
When you gnome, you gnome.
I stared making these little Scandinavian-inspired gnomes from yarn and fabric (found at thrift stores) fastened to wooden bases (made from repurposed croquet mallets). When explaining how simple these were to make, I decided to design an "at home gnome" DIY kit that people could make on their own. Making things is fun, so I sold these at a school fundraiser. Before selling the kits, I invited friends over to pressure test the kit. This resulted in the gnome photo line-up as well as a great time making together as a group.
With a few changes the kit was ready for distribution, and I sold many to our local community of moms, makers, dads, and dabblers.
The kit requires a glue gun, but other than that caveat, I sold these to many different ages and stages of crafters. I posted a little how-to video on you tube. My favorite feedback was a friend who purchased kits for all five nieces and nephews. The kits were not only a gift, but a project to spend time together making something they could be proud of.
Photos courtesy of Elisa Brown.