Jackie Freelend, left, and Karen Smith stand near a crafting station in the Paint It Yours studio.Special Deal
During the month of January, every person who brings a friend to craft at Paint It Yours will receive $5 off the $35 price to craft.
With the spring semester now in session, two teachers at Soddy-Daisy Middle School are embarking on a new “extracurricular” of their own.
Librarian Karen Smith and eighth-grade social studies teacher Jackie Freelend just opened their new business venture, Paint It Yours, on Dayton Pike.
“We both like crafting,” Freelend said. “We started talking about it [at school] and it led to this.”
The business is a spin on the painting-party studios that can be found downtown, but specializes in painting and crafting trendy door- and wall-hangings. Smith said they plan to theme each week of crafting, with themes centering on things like favorite football teams, pets and more.
She added that they are also open to suggestions if a client has a special project in mind.
“We’re neither one of us artists; we’re crafters,” Smith said of herself and Freelend.
“You don’t have to know how to paint,” Freelend assured potential customers.
The plans for the business moved quickly, said Smith, and within a couple of weeks of coming up with the idea, the pair had painted, decorated and set up the studio in the storefront, which is right next to Home Folks Restaurant.
“[The cost] is $35 from start to finish,” Smith said, explaining that the price includes all the materials and instruction.
She and Freelend are currently scheduling appointments on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from about 6-8:30 p.m. Guests are encouraged to bring food and drink to enjoy while they craft.
“We are open to groups and would be happy to work around their schedule,” Smith added.
To learn more about Paint It Yours, located at 8967 Dayton Pike, as well as upcoming crafting themes, search for “Paint It Yours” on Facebook.
Email Kelsie Bowman at kbowman@timesfreepress.com.