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Over 20 booths had items for sale. With the variety
of items available, it was a good day for people to do Christmas
shopping. The nice weather brought in a steady stream of people.
The BL Custom Woodworking booth had many handcrafted
items made by Brad Lessen including rustic crosses, Christmas trees,
Charcuterie boards, wood cookies and a small table.
Erin Alsup-Solomon’s Giggles and Gabs booth has a
variety of custom gift baskets for people of all ages and interests.
Solomon said her Giggles and Gibberish sets are perfect for people
to add gift cards to. She also has Giggles and Glitz sets which have
sparkling baubles and jewelry.
Bites of Joy cookies are made by Jean Bender.
Bender’s cookies are artistically decorated sugar cookies. She makes
them for various events and holidays and said the cookies can be
frozen until the event.
Stan and Scarlett Coers had numerous Christmas items
available for sale such as wreaths, candle stands, stockings,
snowmen and Santas.
Reiner’s Tree and Lumber Services owner Lee Reiners offered live
edge wood pieces from Walnut, Knotty Pine, Cherry, Catalpa, Sweet
Gum and other trees, unfinished wood cookies of various sizes and
Icelandic photos decoupaged onto maple wood cookies. This booth also
had custom prints made by Jesse Reiners of JesseLikesDrawing
depicting Godzilla and other characters and scenes from pop culture
and video games.
Homemade items created by Roberta and Ivan Rademaker
included dresses, coats, nightgowns and pant sets for dolls, bibs,
scrubbies, potholders, wood plaques, wooden napkin holders and
wooden stars with crosses.
Diane Swart and Sam Birgerson had handmade small and
large wooden holiday signs, wooden churches, vases filled with
Christmas greenery and round Christmas displays made from wood
blocks.
Travelling all the way from Indianapolis was Fran
Kandrac of Frandac Paints. Frandac Paints sells vases, Christmas
trees, candle holders and tumblers all hand painted by Kandrac.
Westen’s Rag Rugs are made by Larry “Mo” Westen in a
variety of colors. His wife Joyce Westen was selling homemade sweet
cinnamon rolls and egg noodles. The egg noodles sold out within the
first few hours.
Custom vinyl crafts are made by Erica Klokkenga Babbs.
Babbs was selling stickers, t-shirts, sweatshirts, onesies, totes,
light blocks, ornaments and beer steins with custom decals on them.
Roller balls available for sale at the booth were made by Sylvia
Klokkenga of Mam’s Salves and Sundried and were filled with
essential oils.
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Lisa Eeten’s booth had crocheted small and large
stuffies, hats, dish cloths, potholders and bibs.
Shellz Suds made by Shelly Conley are handcrafted soaps made with
goats’ milk.
Rob Cummings of Rob’s Woodshop in New Holland had
handcrafted wooden cutting boards, coasters and engraved wood art.
His wife Marisa makes etched ornaments, etched bottles with ribbons
and engraved glass with lights.
To keep people’s hands from burning when pulling
items out of the microwave, Tammy Pourchot was selling her homemade
large and small “cozy bowls.” She also makes wreaths, candles,
wrapped yarn Christmas trees and crocheted pumpkins.
Debbie Story makes hand beaded creations which include her beaded
“boujie” pens, badge holders and magnets.
The beaded creations made by Sue Cundel included
handcrafted beaded Christmas trees, fall trees, flowers and
poinsettias.
Freckled Dog Design’s Melanie Harnacke makes dog and
cat earrings, charms, watchbands, bling for the watchbands,
bracelets, keyrings, necklaces, rings, cremation memory lockets and
pet ornaments.
At her Family Roots booth, Jill Bruner of Lasalle
Peru had a variety of succulents and other plants including one that
grew from a cutting of one of her late grandmother's plants. Bruner
also makes decorative balls, scrunchies made out of neckties,
potholders, wallets and table runners. At the end of one table,
Bruner was selling quilted dolls handmade by Margaret Conrady in the
1990s.
Elisa Herr, owner of Redbud Lane Arts and Crafts had
handmade bracelets and earrings, plants in pretty pots, wobble pens,
and resin dice in addition to suncatchers.
Lincoln Land CEO members from Kennedy McCree, Paytan
Bunner, Finley Hewitt, Ivy Sandel, Kyle Koehler, Alek Claudio,
Cheyenne Medrano and Adalyn Reed were there selling their candy
clouds. Candy clouds are cotton candy made in gourmet flavors like
s‘mores and sour grinch plus basic flavors like pink vanilla and
blue razz. The LLCEO members were also raffling off a gift basket
filled with local items.
There was a great turnout with many people shopping
at the various booths throughout the day.
Emden Artisan and Craft Fair organizer Betty Jo Lessen said there
are so many talented people in the area, this event seemed like a
good way for people to sell their handcrafted items. She plans to
make it an annual event.
Because of the positive feedback and the number of people wanting to
participate in the artisan and craft fair, another one will be held
on November 8, 2025. So many people interested in having booths,
there will be vendor booths on both the main floor and basement of
the Emden Community House.
[Angela Reiners]
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