Wonderfully Made
Workshop lets artists shine
Many Christmas trees are sparkling a little brighter this holiday season with ornaments created by the talented artists of Wonderfully Made Workshop in Christian County.
“We are a nonprofit service program that is designed to bring inclusivity and creativity to the special needs community,” explains founder Stephanie Harton. “We use repurposed jewelry that we’ve had donated from people to make Christmas ornaments and other items.”
Harton, a physical therapist for the Christian County school system, was aware of the lack of employment opportunities for high school graduates with exceptional needs. Determined to change that trend, her inspiration came a couple of years ago after watching a Made in America news segment featuring adults with special needs employed to make Christmas items. Harton began to wonder if she could start a similar program.
She got an idea after spotting a jeweled Christmas tree displayed on a wall in her home. She had made it herself from repurposed costume jewelry at an Alhambra Theatre workshop. “And I was like, ‘That’s what we could do,’” Harton recalls.
She reached out to partner with local citizens and area businesses. By February 2023, Wonderfully Made Workshop’s artists were creating hand-crafted Christmas ornaments.
A Hopkinsville resident commissioned this piece from Wonderfully Made Workshop. She donated her late mother’s jewelry to the organization and asked one of the designers to make a special ornament featuring those items. This is the finished ornament.
So how does the creative process work? It begins with an ornament template, followed by a unique design, created by community members. A picture is taken of the design, which is placed in a kit, along with the pieces of jewelry. The kit is then completed—templates are painted and jewelry pieces arranged and glued by a Wonderfully Made Workshop artist. Volunteers provide encouragement and assist some artists in completing the kits, while other artists do their own freestyle work.
Plans are in the works to offer functional pieces, like picture frames. They also hope to create more one-of-a-kind custom pieces. For example, the artists recently completed Christmas trees with design elements based on the music of Dolly Parton and Chris Stapleton that Harton hopes the organization can give to the entertainers. The ultimate goal? A freestanding retail space.
Throughout the year, Wonderfully Made Workshop is committed to providing participants an opportunity for artistic expression and meaningful work. “Anyone can get involved,” says Harton. “And this is just a way to show that art is for everyone.”
Visit Wonderfully Made Workshop on Facebook to purchase a hand-crafted ornament or to find out more.
AMY COBB, a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, enjoys writing fiction and nonfiction for children and adults.
