Chili woman spreading handcrafted holiday cheer

My Hometown Neighbors

Chili woman spreading handcrafted holiday cheer

By Colleen Onuffer

One Chili resident is spreading holiday cheer through cute, customized stuffed elves.

Jessa Shultis grew up watching her grandmother sew, knit, paint, make ceramics, and run a side business as a cake maker. “I was always very interested in doing all of these things with her,” explained Shultis.

Crafting and the necessary creativity rubbed off on her at an early age. By five years old, Shultis had learned how to sew. From there, her passion for the arts took over – scrapbooking, creating signs for her bedroom, and making homemade cards for loved ones and special occasions. In the seventh grade, Shultis even sewed little stuffed animals and sold them at a stand in her best friend’s neighborhood.

You can say that entrepreneurial spirit stuck with Shultis. This past summer, with encouragement from friends and family, she started crafting for profit. Through her Facebook page “Cozy Cove Creations,” Shultis offers small signs, decals for wine glasses, beer mugs, clothing in both adult and children’s sizes, customizable ornaments, and stuffed holiday elves.

“I crafted the elves this season for the very first time,” said Shultis. She uses red and white glitter vinyl to customize the elves with children’s names across the front, a snowflake on the hat, and the year on the foot. Adding a special touch, a pouch with handcrafted, holiday-themed stickers is included, along with a small card that reads “North Pole Certified.” All elves come enclosed in a gift box with festive paper shreds and sell for $10 each.

These cuddly friends from Santa’s workshop proved to be a huge hit, with Shultis selling between 60 and 70 elves in the past month. Fulfilling that many holiday orders might be overwhelming to some, but for Shultis, crafting has always been a stress reliever. “I absolutely love crafting for myself, and I love even more that I can share this with the community.”

She’s not the only one that feels that way. One customer has ordered ten different elves to spread holiday cheer throughout the area. Another plans to donate elves to families that are struggling this year. Already thinking ahead to 2022, Shultis said, “I would love to set something up where we can donate these elves somewhere next year!”

She appreciates how supportive and welcoming residents are of new business owners and crafters. “I think small businesses, in general, mean a lot to this community,” she said. Furthermore, Shultis tries to shop locally for supplies and products so that the money can stay within the region.

Aside from crafting, Shultis is a full-time nanny, full-time psychology student, and about to apply to a paralegal program in Rochester to receive her certification. Although family members jokingly ask when she has time to sleep, Shultis says she loves finding new crafts to make.

“I love the customized crafting I can do for those around me,” she said. “I think it’s so special that I can craft a keepsake or something personal for a family.”

Provided photos