We first met with Jolie McNulty last in 2015, when the JBLM military spouse started her own business, American Honey Furniture, and focused on refinishing furniture. A lot has changed since then and her refurnishing business has evolved into so much more with the addition of “The Makery.”

“I felt that although I absolutely loved and still love refinishing furniture,” Jolie said, “the business naturally pulled into the direction of teaching Make & Take Workshops.”

Jolie brings a new and fresh perspective to the “make and take” concept. It was during her stint teaching furniture refinishing workshops at the craft store that the idea came to her. “The classes were extremely popular and people loved coming, but it seemed like there was a real need for people to have a place where they could get together with their friends and spend an afternoon or evening painting or building something and there wasn’t anything quite like this around.”

Since she was renting space on an as needed basis at the craft store, which wasn’t open during the nights for workshops, Jolie knew she would have to make a change. “So I took a leap of faith and found a great location near my house” And thus The Makery was born.

Her Studio is a quaint space in the Tacoma-Spanaway area and her fun personality shines through with the blue walls and projects lining the wall. She hosts open make and take workshops for $45, which includes a design of your choice, with quotes like ‘All because two people fell in love’ and the super popular Seahawks logo, among many others. All are painted on a 14 x 20 pallet or flat wood sign with a wide variety of paint colors at the paint bar by Vintage Market and Design. The studio is also available for private parties of 6-10 people.

“People were wanting to be successful in their DIY projects, whether it be painting, building, or refinishing but they just needed a little guidance. The business has shifted from me in my garage repainting furniture to hosting 20-30 parties a month at my studio,” she said. And her businesses has expanded to include four hired instructors. “These teaching ladies (and a few brave gentleman), along with a little direction and the right supplies, anyone can create something they can proudly show off to their friends and family,” said Jolie.

The Makery officially launched in July of 2015 and with her talent, passion and perseverance took off. “I wake up every morning just super excited about the day. I love the social aspect of it and bringing people together for private parties. In such a digital/social media age, it’s so refreshing to see people have real conversations face to face. I love that people are so proud and so excited that they accomplished something.” According to Jolie, customers are so pleased with their experience that many people give her a big hug at the end of their party. “I love that I still get to be a full-time stay at home mom but also run a really successful business.”

So what’s in store for The Makery in 2016? “This year I plan on bringing in more power tools to the studio so people can really build their item from scratch and as always, I plan on really focusing on designs that people want. I would never offer a product that I wouldn’t want in my own home. We also want to do more kid’s birthday parties! I think that would be super fun.”

And if you’re a military spouse with an idea of a business or a business of your own, take her words of advice. “Look for something there is a need for. If you ever think to yourself, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun if… or, there’s got to be a better way.’ That’s the type of stuff people need/ want. Also, don’t be afraid to work hard and don’t give up too quickly, you never know what is right around the corner.”

So if you’re stumped on finding a unique way to spend a girl’s night, private party or just wanting to meet new friends, please head on over to The Makery website. You can also visit her Facebook page.

XOXO,

Sonia at Spouse Connexion