The spirit of crafting Handmade decorations come together organically, built from seeds of inspiration The Creators
By: AV Kitching Posted: 2:00 AM CST Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/11/2024 (303 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A metal machinist by day, Sara LeClair spends her working hours in an industrial environment surrounded by dust, dirt and sludge.

Clad in protective gear — goggles, steel-toed boots and noise-cancelling earmuffs — she endures a cacophony of clanging and grinding throughout her shift as she assembles parts for a tractor.

It’s no wonder LeClair craves a change of scenery when she punches out.

At the end of every shift she gives free reign to the creations blooming in her mind, turning her myriad ideas into handcrafted home decorations with a distinctly witchy cottagecore esthetic.

“I use this as an escape from metal,” she says. “I do really enjoy my job; I’ve always enjoyed the process of making something out of basically nothing, but this, this is different.”

The “this” she’s referring to are her crescent-moon wreaths, wrapped in twine and covered with fabric flowers, chains and beads, or studded with delicate shells.

Each painstakingly crafted piece is an explosion of colours, textures and shapes and every one is unique, created based on how she’s feeling that day.

“Nothing is planned. I just get a feeling about the colours I want to work with and I gather them from the stock I already have. And if I don’t have those colours then I’ll go out and find the things I need for the idea and work on it from there,” she says.

Crafting is always on her mind.

On neighbourhood walks and city strolls, her eyes are on the lookout for items she can create with.

Her gift is being able to see past the original form and function of an object.

“I can see what things could become,” she says. “I’ve been making things for as long as I can remember using different mediums and if I have an idea, I can usually make it.”

She credits her artistic slant to her parents who are also creative. Her father enjoyed woodworking and encouraged her to work with different tools and she learned to sew from her mother.

Although LeClair has always been good with her hands, it’s only very recently she’s gathered the courage show her work to people outside of her loved ones.

Posting her work on her Instagram account @_fox_and_peony_creations_ has helped boost her confidence and, despite dealing with anxiety, she’s signed up for a few markets.

“I am nervous,” she shares. “It’s been a challenging journey having anxiety, so markets have been a big step for me. I am not used to sharing the things I’ve made but I enjoy making things for people and I enjoy the interactions I have with them over my work, so I think I’ve gotten more brave.”

She has recently branched out from her wreaths, adding fungi, albeit the artificial kind, to her repertoire.

On walks in the woods where her folks have a cabin, she scours the ground for fallen birch branches, collecting them for her latest project: mushrooms on a branch.

“The mushroom branches are complicated to make. I use foam clay to create mushrooms, and paint them in colours that complement the dried mosses and artificial plants I’ve added to the salvaged birch branches,” she says.

She’s been taken aback by the popularity of her handicrafts but is gratified at how much response her work generates. At a recent market, LeClair was pleased with the number of visitors to her table. She says it was the best she’s ever done.

“I got a lot of compliments about my stuff but I am not really looking to make it a huge business. I do this for the enjoyment. It can be a little nerve-wracking meeting new people and talking to them about my work, but hearing about the things that it reminds them of and getting to interact with them… it’s the best.”

av.kitching@freepress.mb.ca