For fans of handmade goods and supporters of small businesses, look no further than the women-owned company 35:35 Makers Collective.
Makers Collective, located at 265 W. Peace Road, Sycamore, boasts a collage of decorative items, pieces of art and hand-crafted goods from local creators, even offering classes and workshops allowing customers to make their own special items.
Co-owners Joni Peterson and Carrie Aldrich, both makers themselves, run the store and work with the over 50 artists that are represented.
“I have about 50 different people in here, and when I tell people that, it’s kind of mind-blowing,” Peterson said. “We only have about 1,700 square feet, but I style everyone together so they don’t have individual booths.”
The careful layout of the space and organization of the items for sale creates a display that functions as one cohesive, well maintained storefront. The owners go to great lengths to treat each artist’s items with care and respect while maintaining an efficient showcase and operating the business.
“Our favorite part (of owning a business) is the creativity and the people, our least favorite is the business part,” Aldrich said.
“We’re moms so we have to juggle that time of working and not working,” Peterson said.
Peterson and Aldrich renovated the store’s interior themselves. They focused their creative skills on building a space that not only allows local artists to be represented but also invites customers to have a good time.
“We love collaborating with people too, so we do a lot of classes and workshops,” Aldrich said. “We’re bringing in other artists and makers from the community. It’s meant to be a place to come and have fun and be creative.”
Makers Collective features the only walk-in candle making bar in DeKalb County, run by Aldrich herself. As the owner and operator of Vuur Lont Candle Co. she has a wealth of knowledge to share in candle making.
Families and people of all ages can come and get creative with open classes held on Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Customers will take on the role of students as they are taught how to make a candle step-by-step. With seasonal events and candle containers, there’s a wide variety of things to make your candle special. You can also reserve a private lesson for a date night or evening with friends.
Pop-up classes on bath and body items, T-shirts, painting and drawing are also available.
On Friday and Saturday, you can stop by to take part in the “Vintage Shop Hop” weekend. Makers Collective will feature their unique photo stand on Friday, and on Saturday their candle-making bar and a special T-shirt pop-up stand presented by Penny + Cade where you can craft your own stylish T-shirt.
On Oct. 10, Makers Collective will be a featured stop in Sycamore’s “Witches Night Out” event, an evening to dress in witchy garb and tour the multiple associated vendors all over town. Featuring giveaways, deals and a variety of food, there will be something for everyone.
For more information on upcoming events, you can visit their upcoming events page. If you or a group are considering requesting a private class to learn a crafty skill or two, you can visit their website or email [email protected] for more information and booking details.
