Beeswax, tote bags, jewelry: SAB hosts Maker’s Market - Hillsdale Collegian

Junior Allie Springer laid out homemade lip balm, hair wax, soap, candles, and honey from her family’s bee farm last Saturday at SAB’s annual Maker’s Market.

“It’s a perfect event,” Springer said. “I usually make things at home during breaks but do not have to commit to a full business.”

Students sold homemade bee products, tote bags, jewelry, paintings, baked goods, stuffed animals, and more on the south quad.

“Personally, this is my favorite SAB event, just because I like shopping,” Springer said.

Springer’s first market was last fall.

“My family started beekeeping a couple of summers ago,” Springer said. “We will harvest the honey and then will filter out the beeswax from what’s left.”

Springer said she found most of her recipes on Google or in her own book on bee alchemy.

“It’s like being in a chemistry lab, just troubleshooting why things aren’t having a good consistency, whether they’re not dissolving,” Springer said. “Soap making has definitely been the hardest thing for me, so that’s not perfect yet.”

Senior Kody Richards sold tote bags, zipper pouches, and makeup bags made with Rifle Paper Company fabric at a booth.

“I did it first time sophomore year after seeing it freshman year,” Richards said. “When I’m home over the summer, I usually just go over to my Nana’s once a week, and we sew together. We spend the whole day making bags and getting lunch, too.”

Senior Emma Turner sold gold-plated jewelry from her own company, Star Girl Jewelry, at her booth, including necklaces, earrings, and charm bracelets.

“We had our best year on record this year,” Turner said.

Turner said she has been making jewelry since she was 10 years old.

“I started it because it was 2020, and I had a ton of extra time on my hands,” she said. “I decided to pour that extra time into creating a business.”

Springer said she loved seeing what other students sold as well.

“They sold musubi, like a little rice sandwich — that was fire this year,” Turner said.

Richards said she thought Maker’s Market was a great outlet for students since homework typically takes up so much of students’ time.

“It’s a fun way to encourage people to do fun, creative, hands-on things,” Richards said. “There are a lot of people who have creative talents or interests that you would never know about because we live in such an academic environment.”

Turner agreed and said the lack of an entry fee and provided tables made the event better than a typical farmer’s market.

“It’s a great way for student entrepreneurs and small business owners, or even just people who have a side hustle, to share that with campus,” Turner said. “It’s a really great opportunity for students to test out their ideas in an affordable way.”