If you are looking for a last-minute present for this holiday season and want to shop local and small, it doesn’t get any better than the Oak Park School District 97’s Maker’s Fair, where middle schoolers will be selling their handmade crafts.
Held Friday Dec. 15 at Julian Middle School’s commons on Ridgeland Avenue from 4 to 7 p.m., the event is free to the public. It plans to display various homemade goodies.
Susan Raphael, co-president of the Julian PTO, said the event is a great way for the community to support middle school students.
“They are so talented,” Raphael said. “The idea is that kids create, it has to be kid-created, their items and they can either display or sell their items.”
While only in its second year, Raphael said she was in awe of all the creativity displayed last year as students came together and found various crafts to sell including baked goods, clay projects, 3D printed objects, jewelry, and much more.
She was also impressed by the social skills which were also on display.
“They are also entrepreneuring too,” Raphael said. “Some kids took their table and made a very nice display; some kids were really into it in terms of presentation.”
Rose Super, a 12-year-old student at Julian, said she loved participating in last year’s event.
Making all the crafts herself, Super said she made about 30 candle holders, a lot of bookmarks, a few bracelets and about 20 Christmas ornaments. She also made sugar cookies from scratch.
“I make crafts all year round,” Super said. “It is fun and when you don’t have anything to do, you can just get it out and start working on it.”
Super said she was almost fully sold out last year, and is excited to bring her crafts back to the Maker’s Fair for people to buy. This year, she is also adding wreaths to her inventory.
The fair also gave Super the opportunity to earn money, about $150, which she then was able to use to buy her friends and family Christmas presents.
The fair can also be a great opportunity for students who showcase a side of themselves that might not always be on display.
“I think these kids get a bad rap, middle schoolers, [people say] it’s such a horrible age, it’s just a pathway to high school, it’s tough,” Raphael said. “I think these kids are really incredible and they are really talented. It’s such a great age group.”
Raphael said she had high hopes for the event and believes it is a great way to bring not only the D97 family but the rest of the Oak Park community together.
“It was only positive vibes from this event,” Raphael said, adding that when the flier for this year’s event came out people expressed their excitement. “It is just a great event. I hope people can come to it.”
Julian and Brooks middle schoolers who still wish to sign up can contact ptojulian@gmail.com.
