Did you know that this year was the first time Bob Jones University held a Christmas Makers Market for students? I was privileged to get to be a part of it!
In October 2023, I found out I was accepted into the Makers Market to sell my art. I used the two months leading up to December 1st to gather supplies and prepare products. Since I was eagerly anticipating the market, the countdown until the big day seemed to drag for me. However, once the week of the Christmas Student Makers Market was upon me, I didn’t have enough time to get everything ready! Thankfully, I managed to paint final details, laminate bookmarks and put together art bags before the event began.
After a harrowing parking experience (in which a traffic cone did not get the best of me!), I carried my bags and boxes up to the Student Center. Because of the drizzly weather, the Student Makers Market was moved into the two walkways above the Student Center mall. While that move was initially the backup plan, it ended up working out for the better. When the rain picked up outside, customer traffic picked up inside! I’m sure the shoppers were just as glad for the shelter as we were for their business.
I was able to interact with a lot of the BJU and Greenville community during the market. Through my business, “A Blessed Sheep Co.,” I provided hand painted prints and bookmarks, digital prints, stickers, and mystery art bags. I also gave out free stickers, which provided a great opportunity to interact with shoppers, especially children!
Next to my table, there were several others run by fellow students. Shoppers were able to browse for a variety of gifts during the market. Everything from smoothie bowls to macrame to pottery was sold. I was sorely tempted to spend the money I made on the other students’ great products!
The Student Makers Market was a fantastic opportunity for me to interact with real-life customers. I was able to get real-time feedback on what people liked and didn’t like, as well as suggestions on how to improve my business! I appreciated the support I got from the BJU and Greenville community in their taking the time to look at my table. I hope to take the insights and suggestions I learned at the Christmas Students Makers Market with me to my next ventures, and who knows? Maybe next year, “A Blessed Sheep Co.” will be setting up shop once more at the Makers Market!
