A Crafty Place For Self-expression
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(from left) Stasia Barcelona, Theresa Yoshida, Ann
Wills, Desireee Ayat, Barbara Bareng and Emi Higa
decide on merchandise for an upcoming holiday sale”
At Craft Supply of Honolulu, the calendar of free demonstrations is posted prominently on the front door. Owner Ann Wills ensures that all the intricate items are easily available.
Wills admits she won’t be teaching these classes because she doesn’t do anything crafty.
“I sure admire people who do,” she says. “It’s a great way of expressing yourself.”
Instead, the Hawaii Kai resident expresses herself by focusing on her customer.
“We want to support them in discovering their creativity,” says Wills, who enjoys golfing. “It’s also fun for the staff.”
Scrapbooking, beading and jewelry-making are just some uses of the wide variety of merchandise waiting to be fashioned into something artistic and useful. One of the latest trends is crochet lei making. Whether a ribbon, plastic fruit, or a wreath for the holidays is needed, Wills has more than 30,000 pieces of inventory to accommodate all of the cottage industries that are creating unique works of their own.
Craft Supply of Honolulu opened in 1988 with materials for cross stitching and painting. It was because of customer requests from Wills’first retail business she took over in 1981 - The Hobby Company at Pearlridge Mall - that she started Craft Supply. She credits the store’s smooth operations to her team of 65 crew members and to her longtime employees: general manager Barbara Bareng, office manager Desiree Ayat, and Pearl Highlands store manager Laurie Aina. Wills’ son, Joseph, manages the Hobby Company.
A new twist on demonstrations is a free crafty keiki fun class held on the third Sunday of each month from 2 to 3 p.m. at either the McCully store or at the Pearl Highlands location. Signing up for the classes is necessary as space is limited. The Oct. 16 class features Halloween Lollipop covers in the shape of ghosts or pumpkins.
For her first annual holiday card contest for public school students, an application form is filled out and a free card stock to make the entry is provided. Deadline for submissions is Oct. 28. The winning school earns $500, and the cards are mailed off to soldiers for Operation Uplift. The top three students in both the elementary and high school levels will be acknowledged with a Craft Supply gift certificate of $100, $50 or $25.
Craft Supply of Honolulu is located at 1960 S. King St., and on the second level of Pearl Highlands Center. For more information, call 942-5044 or 456-3533.
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