Small business Saturday is an annual holiday in the United States on the Saturday after Thanksgiving that encourages people to “shop small” to support local businesses. It is a nation-wide movement to support local entrepreneurs. This past weekend, Ben Davis got a head start on the action. Last Saturday was the annual Ben Davis craft fair where local vendors had the opportunity to showcase their crafts. The craft fair is an annual event to raise money for the band program and their trips, but it also gives people a platform to showcase their creations and offers local businesses a place to spread their name. Below are a few of these local talents.

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Beth Pruitt's crafts show her background in floral design and attention to detail, as well as her ability to up-cylce old items.

Beth Pruitt
Beth Pruitt had spent the last 30 years making crafts which she sells at various craft fairs. She has been a vendor for 5 years at Ben Davis craft fair. Beth has always had a passion for crafting. In high school, she worked at a local flower shop, which inspired her to continue art as a career. She saw an advertisement on the internet for the event a few years ago and has been coming ever since. She doesn’t have particular medium, but does up-cycle old frames and pieces of wood, and enjoys making Christmas-related items that sparkle and light up. Her background in floral arrangements in also prevalent in her hand-designed wreaths.

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Paula Hansen creates a variety of crafts, primarily by reusing old materials like saws and wood. Her main supporter, her husband, is pictured as well.

Paula Hansen
Paula Hansen has been a vendor at the Ben Davis craft fair for a few years. She began crafting after her daughter left for college. She started crafting in free time, and found that she was really good at it. She primarily up-cycles old items, such as old saws and pieces of wood. As she began to develop her crafting skills, she was encouraged by friends and family to start selling her creations. Now, the star of the show are her beautiful beaded hanging pot shelves.

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Cheryl Martin sews a lot. Her beautiful work can be seen above.

Cheryl Martin
Cheryl Martin specializes in sewing, and has been making her creations for about 15 years. Even after giving away a great deal to family and friends, she began to produce so much, that she gave to the food pantry as well. Eventually, she couldn’t give away everything away anymore and began selling at various craft fairs in town. She sews many items, and makes quality products that easily outdo those of retails stores and brand-name outlets.

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Jennifer has tons of options for all shapes and sizes.

Jennifer Wiggins
Jennifer Wiggins is the owner of Jennifer’s loft, a boutique under the brand Agnes & Dora. She found the Ben Davis craft fair through vendor event page last year, and has been attending for the last 2 years. Jennifer loves to shop, but was inspired to start her boutique by the limited options available for curvy women to dress modestly. “Finding clothes that fit curvy women that are flattering is hard. We have 5 daughters varying shapes size and ages. Finding something that showed that that you can dress modestly and stylish at the same time was important to me”. She said that one of her primary motivation is to set an example to her daughters. “Now my girls know that they can do anything that they put their mind to.”

You can find her website here: www.jennifersloft.com