Farmington craft shows feature student entrepreneurs

FARMINGTON — Two annual Farmington Public Schools craft shows are more than a place for area crafters to showcase their work. They also offer young entrepreneurs a chance to grow and develop their business and corresponding skills.

Lanigan Elementary School’s craft show is known as “A Very Merry Marketplace,” and East Middle School’s craft show is called the “Let It Snow Craft Show.” The East Middle School show took place Nov. 23, and the Lanigan show is scheduled for Dec. 14.

The idea to allow students to have tables at the craft shows was the brainchild of Debby Kuna, president of the East Middle School PTSA and vice president of the Lanigan Elementary PTA. A PTSA is a parent teacher student association.

Kuna said she came up with the idea after her son, Dylan, expressed interest in showcasing and selling his artwork at school craft shows.

Debby Kuna, a first grade teacher at Lanigan Elementary, has taught in the district for 25 years and been in charge of the craft shows for the last 10 as vice president of fundraising for the Lanigan PTA and the president of East Middle School PTSA. A Farmington graduate herself, she has always had a passion for helping the community as well as educating young people.

So, when her son, Dylan, wanted to sell his various crafts as well, she decided to offer students the opportunity to sell their works at the craft shows for a discounted table rate — $10 for students instead of $40.

“My son is like a little entrepreneur, and when he was about 7, he had some stuff he wanted to sell,” Debby Kuna said.

“So, I let him have a table and then I thought if my son’s doing it I should open up to other kids, and we advertised that students could do it, and it just kind of went from there.”

What started off as just three student entrepreneurs has grown. This year, 13 of the 34 vendors are student-driven businesses.

“I do have more and more kids every year and a lot of them come back, so they’re repeat vendors. It’s just a great experience for them,” Debby Kuna said. “It’s good for them, as they get experience as to what it’s like running a real business and (it) gets them out into the community.”

The young businessmen and businesswomen range in age from 8 to 26. The students have several different types of businesses, ranging from artwork to jewelry, crochet, magnets, pins, 3D-printed toys and much more.

“I really like the sense of community and it is also a kind of friendly place to go and sell my art,” said Dylan Kuna. “It’s familiar to me and I like the people involved.”

Many of the young entrepreneurs said the shows provide a way for them to fund and expand their various businesses. Dylan Kuna said he was able to purchase a $1,200 laser cutter and is now able to make wooden 3D art pieces.

Furthermore, several of the kids said they use the funds they earn from the craft shows to pay their parents back for the materials they were provided and to purchase additional materials.

Beckett Schimmele, 11, recently got into crocheting after seeing her aunts do it, and has really taken to the craft. Along with crocheting, Schimmele also makes slime and squishies.

“Well two of my aunts crochet and I thought it was really cool and my best friend crochets too, so I thought it would be fun to start crocheting,” said Beckett. “It’s kind of just relaxing and I can do it really quickly.”

Beckett had her first table at the East Middle School craft show in November and is working to make plenty of additional pieces for the Lanigan show.

Her mother, Kate Schimmele, said the show has inspired her daughter to set goals for making products so that she has enough to sell. Kate Schimmele said her daughter will come home every day after school and do several pieces.

“She worked really hard. Every day she came home and gave herself a goal of five bracelets and one crochet item each day,” Kate Schimmele said.

“Her having things to sell was a big deal. Now that she has seen her first craft show, I know she’s going to be that much more eager to make more stuff, because she felt like she needed more.”

Kate Schimmele said her daughter had an idea of the work that was needed to participate in the craft show because they sell sports cards at shows all over. Beckett said she plans to use her profits to “buy more stuff because yarn is too expensive.”

Siblings Lillian Evans, 12, and William Evans IV, 10, are both participating in this year’s craft shows. The two are repeat vendors and enjoy participating in the shows each year. Lillian sells handmade hair scrunchies and earrings, adding that “they’re fun to make.”

“I like getting money because I can spend it on field trips and stuff,” Lillian said, though she pointed out that she first pays her mother back for her craft expenses.

William enjoys sewing and makes key fobs and headbands.

“I actually fell into the joy of sewing,” William said. “My mom taught me when I was 4.”

William said he enjoys the craft shows because he is able to meet lots of people and talk to them about how he makes the items he is selling, and he encourages other kids to do it.

“It’s a great experience for them as far as being involved in the community,” said the siblings’ father, William Evans III.

“This is where they go to school and we live in the community, so it’s good to get support from a lot of  the community people, a lot of teachers, and with this we get to see a lot of the people that they’re always around, and it’s a big building block for them to start getting the confidence to start talking to people and to come out of their shell.

“So for us it’s exciting to see that they are able to use something that they’ve learned from their mother and just be excited about doing it. A lot of people aren’t using their hands these days, so it’s learning how to do something and actually following through.”

The idea for young entrepreneur participation went over so well that it has now expanded to students with special needs in the Farmington Public Schools Visions Unlimited program. The kids, who are ages 18-26, participated in the East Middle School event.

“It is a self-esteem booster for certain,” said Dara Weber, a paraprofessional with the Visions Unlimited program. “They are extremely proud of what they do. It’s hard to describe what it does when they are selling; they just are so proud of everything that they do when they are at school.”

The Lanigan craft show will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14, at the school, located at 23800 Tuck Road. There is no cost for admission.

The Visions Unlimited students will be selling their merchandise again through their “Buddy Shop” in the children’s area in the basement of the Farmington Public Library from 10 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Dec. 17. Visions Unlimited student products can also be purchased online at farmington.revtrak.net/visions.

For more information on student participation in the craft shows for next year, email Debby Kuna at debby.kuna@fpsk12.net.