Made in Cbus Trail

Make keepsakes at four central Ohio shops, earn tote bag

I find the most memorable adventures to be hands-on experiences. They’re even more meaningful when I can make a keepsake along the way.

The Smithery: Make memorable, metal trinkets at Grandview shop

Such was the case when I tapped the letters of my family members’ names onto a bronze heart while making a necklace at the Smithery in Grandview Heights. The shop offers metal smithing classes for adults and children, and has a gift shop full of neat, handmade creations by local artisans.

I participated in a “Make and Take” workshop that included choosing a charm, stamping it with decorations and threading it onto a chain. It took about 30 minutes, and it cost less than $20.

Plus, I received a stamp in my Made in Cbus Trail passport, taking one step closer to receiving a free tote bag from Experience Columbus.

The Smithery is one of more than 30 central Ohio stops on the Made in Cbus Trail. Visit one to pick up your trail booklet. Shop and collect stamps at any four, and you’ll receive a Made in Cbus tote bag, compliments of the visitors bureau.

Below are three more do-it-yourself projects we completed along the trail.

Candle Lab
Multiple locations throughout central Ohio

“Wasabi,” “Snickerdoodle,” “Old Books.” We considered these peculiar fragrances when we set out to make our own candle that captured our personalities at the Candle Lab in downtown Worthington.

The Candle Lab is a specialty store where customers can buy pre-made, scented candles, or concoct their own. Fragrance selections vary by season, and you can choose up to three scents to blend. The candles are made of pure soy wax, which burns long and is environmentally friendly.

The process of picking a scent, mixing it with liquid wax and allowing it to harden takes a little over an hour. Most candles cost less than $25.

Popular fragrance recipes among the younger crowd include mixing “Bubble Gum” and “Watermelon” to produce a scent resembling watermelon-flavored Bubblicious chewing gum. Another mixes “Campfire,” “Toasted Marshmallow” and “Dark Chocolate” to yield a s’mores-scented candle.

I settled on an earthy trio of pineapple, peach and patchouli, since I’m a sucker for alliteration.

The Candle Lab’s fragrances are stored in amber bottles with white labels. We poured each of our selections into a bartender’s jigger. Then we emptied the mixture into an 8-ounce tin filled with soy wax and a wick. Voila! In an hour’s time, we had our personalized candles.

There also are Candle Lab store locations in Grandview Heights, the Short North and near the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

Igloo Letterpress
Worthington

You might not think of a print shop as a place to take your family. But Igloo Letterpress in Worthington is a great place to visit for personalized stationery and related classes.

For instance, you can take classes in bookbinding, calligraphy and the art of letterpress printing. Owner Allison Chapman uses seven printers, including one that dates to 1892, to create stunning letterpress works of art.

Allison told me the old printer came from her grandfather, who was a printing hobbyist. The same equipment is used to make greeting cards and posters sold in the store, including an impressive farmer’s market series.

Igloo Letterpress also offers handbook binding, custom stationery and a variety of unique cards. Allison says stationery-making is the most-popular class. Participants use antique wood and metal machines to typeset their names and then complete the printing process.

The stationery class costs $40 and can be scheduled by appointment via the company’s website. No appointment is needed to make a book at the Book Bar, where you can quickly put together a journal for less than $10.

Better yet, pair a visit to the Book Bar with a visit to the nearby Sassafras Bakery, which has a milk-and-cookie happy hour from 3-5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Wild Cat
Clintonville

Wild Cat is an independent business in the heart of Clintonville that’s just as creative and wild as its name suggests.

Here you’ll find an assortment of T-shirts, coasters and nightlights touting local institutions such as Tee Jaye’s Country Place and Nancy’s Home Cooking.

You also can learn lots of off-the-wall skills, including how to make pom-pom earrings, a crocheted unicorn toy or a watercolor painting of succulents. You can even learn how to read tarot cards.

We like to pop in on Saturday mornings during the Clintonville Farmer’s Market, when Wild Cat offers free activities for children.