On Nov. 9, the first snow of fall dusted Homewood, but inside Gaia’s Market & Refillery, 1948 Ridge Rd., the cold stayed outside.
A group gathered for a decoupage workshop led by artist and community engagement coordinator Sarah Wiener, who guided attendees through decorating recycled glass jars with thrifted and upcycled paper.
“Decoupage is just a fancy word for adhering paper to surfaces,” Wiener said. “We’re taking what’s already here and giving it a new life.”
Attendees cut and layer thrifted paper for their decoupage jars during Gaia’s Crafting Workshop on Nov. 9 at Gaia’s Market & Refillery in Homewood. (Nuha Abdessalam/H-F Chronicle)
For Sarah Tozer, who owns Gaia’s, the event was about more than crafting. She said she wants her shop to be a place where people can meet and share small experiences.
“I want more community events,” Tozer said. “Even though we already have a great community here, I still want more chances for people to get together.”
The idea came from a pile of jars she had been saving from the shop. “I had so many, and I didn’t want to just recycle them,” she said. “I met Sarah, and she’s so crafty, I knew we could do something with all of it.”
Around the table, people worked at their own pace. Gia Forney, Erica N., and Celina Cantu each found the event on Facebook and met for the first time that night.
“It forces you out of your home,” Forney said. “I have two little ones, so it’s hard to get out. This is easy, you’re doing something creative that’s yours.”
Next to her, Erica said her finished jar might not stay hers for long. “My kids will probably get to it first,” she said.
Cantu added that she liked seeing how different everyone’s ideas were. “I’m not that crafty,” she said, “but I love seeing what everyone else comes up with.”
At another table, Christina Michelassi, visiting from North Carolina, worked alongside longtime Homewood resident Susan Soss Honn, who has lived in the community since 1982.
Michalessai described the workshop as “a wonderful time to connect.”
“It’s nice to step away for a bit and just do something creative,” she said.
Honn said events like this strengthen small-town ties. “It’s important to shop local and show up for the people who keep this community going,” she said.
Wiener said she was encouraged by how people responded to the project Tozer promoted and each other. “People reached out, and that was exciting, when they inquired,” she said. “It’s about giving people a space to make something, talk, and have a good night.”
Tozer said she plans to continue offering workshops through the season and hopes to bring back a fireside craft series later this year.
“It really is about making time for each other,” she said. “That’s what I hope keeps happening.”
For updates on upcoming events, follow Gaia’s Market and Refillery on social media.
