By Jessica Stamp
From lemon and flower earrings to knitted creations, Sarah Drabison, an education major in the master’s program, offers a variety of handmade items through her business, A Smidgen of Everything.
Drabison started her business in 2019, by making cards while attending Youngstown State University for her undergraduate degree and has since grown her business. Later, her aunt taught her how to crochet items, which Drabison sells in person at flea markets. Drabison’s recent handmade item — polymer clay turned into earrings — has received a lot of positive feedback from YSU students and the Youngstown community.
“When I started … [at YSU] that’s where most of my customer base was,” Drabison said. “I made a lot of YSU scrunchies [and] especially during COVID [I made] YSU masks, and they’ve always been very welcoming and very supportive of my business.”
Drabison works as an English teacher and has summers off. With the free time, Drabison said she likes to stay busy. She said her business allows her to be creative, and it gives her a break to take her mind off her teacher responsibilities for a moment, and make extra money.
“When I’m teaching or learning, it’s a lot of reading, it’s a lot of analysis and kind of deep thinking — where when I am creative — I just kind of get to go where my thoughts take me. I don’t necessarily have to know the outcome as I’m making something,” Drabison said.
With Valentine’s Day approaching, Drabison launched Valentine’s Day-themed earrings for people who want to give gifts to loved ones for either Valentine’s or to friends for Galentine’s Day, a holiday celebrated with friends Feb. 13.
“A lot of my earrings and materials are flower-based, so I always think like ‘it’s a flower that lasts forever.’ You know, with Valentine’s you often get flowers, [with the earrings] you can always have one,” Drabison said.
Drabison designs, creates and markets her business herself. Drabison said her parents and fiance are supportive of her business.
“I have very supportive parents and a fiance who comes with me to shows. He’ll help me package material or kind of put my earrings on different cards,” Drabison said.
Drabison said there are many small businesses in the Youngstown community. One way people can support them is by attending small markets like the Youngstown Flea.
“YSU is such a central part to Youngstown, that helping support those local businesses will only make the Valley grow,” Drabison said.
To check out Drabison’s business visit her website or the Youngstown Flea on Feb. 11, where she will be selling her handmade creations.
