It was back in the summer of 2016, we were remodeling the Studio after Ian and I took over the family business. We were going through twenty-three years of clay dust and memories when we found a box of unfinished ornaments made by my godmother, Donna Pony Wold, back in the 90s.
Over the last two holiday seasons we’ve had an Ornament Finishing Program in the Studio. The ornaments are $10 each and $5 from each one is donated, together we’ve contributed more than $1,500 to the American Cancer Society & McLeod County Relay For Life.
This year we’re hosting the program again, and although we’ve started running low on Donna’s originals, we’ve made some new shapes to add to the collection. The program runs from November 1-December 12 during regular business hours. We encourage you to call ahead to book so that you ensure there’s room. We only have space for 8 ornament makers at a time. We welcome groups and encourage you to bring treats. Some of the groups we hosted over the last two years include:
- A grandmother with all her grandchildren to surprise mom
- Six girlfriends who have always gifted each other ornaments and made one for a friend battling cancer who couldn’t be with them
A mom and her toddlers who were making their first homemade Christmas tree decorations- A group of adults from one of our area care programs
- A group of women who host a coffee club and held their holiday party here
- A group of three sisters from coast-to-coast traveled to Hutchinson and made a keepsake
The ideas for your group are endless: bring some wine, some cheese, some cookies, and enjoy a fun time making a memory together. The ornaments are $10 each (you can do more than one), $5 from each ornament is donated. You can come pick them up on December 13th or we’ll mail them to you ($7.30 for USPS small flat rate box). Call 320-587-2599 to book a time.
While you’re here you can enjoy a free tour of the Studio and we’ll tell you how we make our Clay Coyote Chef’s Line of pottery. We also have thousands of other handmade gifts to choose from and we offer free gift wrapping. We can also ship your gifts out to save you time and money on your holiday gifts.
This program is special to us, because Donna was a special person in our life. She was a bright star. She laughed loud. Her smile was wicked. And she gave great hugs just when you needed one.
And it wasn’t just our lives she lit up, Donna’s ornaments have hung on family trees across the country. They were sold for years in the Chicago Art Institute gift shop, they were tucked into little pieces of cloth as thank yous, and a go-to decoration of the old hippies in Dekalb, Illinois.
Help us make more memories and donate to a worthy cause this year. Call 320-587-2599 to book your group or come on your own, it’s a fun activity for anyone, any age, any day.
