Small Business in focus from stay-at-home mom to DIY artist
– ‘Everything Makes Craft’ demonstrating the beauty of upcycling
DPI, Guyana, Friday, July 20, 2018
The definition of a stay-at-home mom is someone who stays home to raise her children and manage her household, leaving behind the monthly salary that comes with being a part of the workforce.
The proprietor of Everything Makes Craft, Christine DeCambra-Forrester is determined to redefine the meaning of stay-at-home moms.
Growing up, she recalled not being interested in the Arts, and at high school she was pushed into the business stream. After marriage and two children, she became a stay-at-home mom. It was during this period she discovered her untapped skills in arts and craft.
“I was looking to do things with the children that were both educational and creative, that is how it all started,” DeCambra-Forrester explained. “I started posting these things on Facebook because I was all excited that I could be so creative and I wanted everyone else to become involved in the craft, especially stay at home moms,” she added.
In 2014, after generating a social media following, the mother of two was encouraged to establish her own business. ‘Everything Makes Craft’ was birthed and DeCambra-Forrester realised that she was unconsciously upcycling. “I looked around at the things I used and I noticed I utilised everything in my house, especially the trash items like the macaroni and cheese boxes, the corn cans, newspaper, cereal boxes, plastic bottles, and every type of glass bottle,” she recalled.
“Since I was using it with the children I thought it was a good way to reduce the amount of garbage I throw out, so then my business became about upcycling, which is reusing trash to make arts and craft,” DeCambra-Forrester said.
Today, the expanding business, located at the Keishar’s Building on Hadfield Street, specialises in creating handmade upcycled products such as greeting cards, home décor and much more.
In 2017, the business owner explained she was the recipient of the Ministry of Education, Youth Innovator Programme’s granted to teach other women the benefits of upcycling. One of the projects they were involved in saw old tyres being transformed into jewellery and poofs (cushioned footstools).
DeCambra-Forrester said she also conducts pop up lectures at various schools on the benefits of upcycling, décor making and conducts her own summer Kids Crafty Klass and Adult workshops.
“In this business, you need to bring so much more than creativity to it. You need to bring passion, love, know how to interact with people and that staying power. No matter what may happen you have to stick it through.”
DeCambra-Forrester is also an active volunteer with a number of government and non-governmental organisations.
For the school holiday, the business will continue its ‘Kids Crafty Klass’ on July 21 for a two-week period for children ages 4 to 16. They will be taught the importance of upcycling, and various craft techniques at a $15,000 cost. All items for the class will be provided by the business.
Persons can contact the business on its Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Youtube pages under the name ’Everything Makes Craft’, and via its email everythingmakescraft@gmail.
By: Crystal Stoll
Images: Ackeem Peters