Teen entrepreneurs with unique crafts amongst the stallholders at popular Taranaki event

Sienna Park, Sarsha Long and Isabella Ogle with some of their crafts they will be selling at theTaranaki Diocesan PTA Under the Mountain Arts and Craft Fete this weekend. Photo / Ilona Hanne

Among the over 120 stallholders at this Saturday’s Taranaki Diocesan School Under the Mountain Arts and Crafts Fete are some business-minded teenagers.

Some of the school’s students will have stalls at the fete for their own business ventures, with hair wraps, crocheted creatures, jewellery and flowers made out of ribbon among the creative crafts on offer.

For year 10 student Sienna Park, 15, it will be her first time selling her range of beautifully crocheted items at the fete.

“I went to the fete last year and starting thinking about having a stall.”

A wide range of crocheted cuddlies made by Sienna Park will be on sale at the fete on Saturday. Photo / Ilona Hanne

She has been hard at work in the lead-up to the fete, crocheting a range of dinosaurs, frogs, bees, chicks and other creatures and characters such as gnomes in a wide range of colours and yarn types.

When she came up with the idea of making crocheted creatures to sell, she realised she was going to need plenty of wool to make enough things to sell.

“Mum put a post on Facebook asking if anyone had any yarn, and this lady offered me lots. I now have a duchess full of yarn to use.”

She sources her patterns online, and has set up social media pages under her business name Sienna’s Crochet to start taking custom orders in the future.

With a wide range of types of animals in varying sizes at the fete, she plans to have items priced from $5 to $25 on the day.

Some of Sarsha Long's trinkets for sale at the fete under her business name The Magpies' Child. Photo / Ilona Hanne

Fellow year 10 student Sarsha Long, 15, is looking forward to her second year of selling her range of handmade jewellery at the fete.

Sarsha makes necklaces, bracelets and earrings, ranging in price from $5 to $20.

“I use a range of beads, items using glass beads cost more than the ones using plastic beads.

“My business is called the Magpies’ Child, because magpies love shiny little trinkets, and that’s what I make.”

Sarsha started her business four years ago, and it’s grown since, with last year her first time at the fete.

“It went pretty well last year, I made some profit on top of breaking even.”

Sarsha said she sells her stock at other markets occasionally as well.

“My stepmum sells plants at some of the markets, so I go along with her when I have the time.”

She’s also in the process of setting up social media pages to sell her items on.

Some of the ribbon roses and reusable hair wraps Isabella Ogle and Jessica Howard have made to sell at the fete. Photo / Ilona Hanne

Isabella Ogle, 14, and Jessica Howard, 15, are both in year 10 and are working together under the name Ribbon Creations.

Isabella makes roses out of ribbon, hence the name, but the two teenagers have extended their product range to include hair wraps, some which can be put in at the fete and others that are reusable, said Jessica.

“So you can have them in when you aren’t at school, and avoid breaking uniform rules.”

The hair wraps and roses come in a range of sizes or lengths, said Isabella.

“So the prices range from $3 to $15.”

Jessica said they also plan to offer multi-purchase deals on the day.

The pair have started an Instagram page under the name Ribbon.Creations044.

The Details:

What: Taranaki Diocesan School PTA’s Under the Mountain Arts and Crafts Fete

When: Saturday, October 26. 10am-3pm

Where: Taranaki Diocesan School, Pembroke Rd entrance

Cost: Gold coin entry

Ilona Hanne is a Taranaki-based journalist and news director who covers breaking and community news from across the lower North Island. She has worked for NZME since 2011.