DIY at C&A Designs

C & A Designs has opened a storefront with handmade consignment, do-it-yourself (DIY) classes, and private parties. The storefront is located at 208 N State Street in Waseca, the former location of Hammer and Stain. The company has also posted information online at candadesignsmn.com about upcoming class dates and party information.

C & A Designs is owned and operated by Danielle, Charlie, and Aidan Androli, and with the opening of their storefront Danielle's longtime friend Mike Garten came on board. C & A Designs got its start in 2018 when Danielle, Charlie, and Aidan were “fooling around” making cups and Charlie and Aidan, who are both still in high school, thought it would be a way they could raise money for Tuberous Sclerosis research and Bluejay Dance. Both are causes which were important to Larissa Yeager-Androli, the boys' older sister who died at age 13 due to complications resulting from tuberous sclerosis. The business evolved from there, and spent several years operating through online sales and craft shows.

In November of 2022, Danielle saw that Hammer and Stain was moving; because Danielle wanted to see a DIY space in Waseca, she initially thought she might buy the business and continue its work in Waseca, but that wasn't the direction things went. “It was really a blessing in disguise,” Danielle said about the failed purchase. Opening a new storefront in the same location has allowed them to continue as C & A Designs and do things their own way. “It's been a hard road, though, I'll tell you that.”

The DIY consignment aspect of the storefront, which has been described as “like Etsy, but in person,” came about because Danielle wanted to help other artists and crafters. “Let's do that for a while and see what happens,” she said, regarding hosting those makers' goods in her storefront. There are currently 19 small businesses and crafters renting space from C & A Designs, all local to southern Minnesota and each bringing unique ideas and products to Waseca.

Anyone can rent out C & A Designs' DIY space to teach a class for a fee of $25 per hour. Classes so far have been very successful, with some filling up entirely. Examples of classes include painting, woodcrafts, and mosaic art. “The sky's the limit,” said Danielle.

Parties at C & A Designs are a customizable experience, where hosts can choose a craft they'd like to do and create a package around it to cover time and supplies, then bring in their own snacks and treats.

Mike Garten said he supports the direction C & A Designs is growing. “It's an opportunity to give people that wouldn't have it that venue,” he said, explaining that he believes most people's barrier to making things for themselves isn't a lack of desire or creativity but a lack of space, or not knowing how to start. He also believes the things people make for themselves at C & A Designs have the potential to be long-lasting. “We want to be the place where you can get things that maybe one day your kids will have and tell their kids about.”

There is more planned for the future. In wintertime, Danielle says that C&A Designs hopes to use its DIY space to host farmers’-market-style events where additional vendors can sell food and craft products under their own licenses. They are also willing to contract for custom-made items for clients who don't feel comfortable making their own crafts. The C&A Designs storefront has not yet held a grand opening event, but Danielle says they still hope to. About their future, she says “We're just scratching the surface, we don't even know what we can do yet.”