Christine Whelan FEO, February 16, 2023, VOL. 4 ISSUE 13
When Grace Wybraniak found a way to bring happiness into her own life, she turned that ability outward and is now having fun sharing it with her hometown, Fort Erie.
Born and raised in town, she and her family run a business that exudes celebration, rising out of the pandemic in 2020 named, Crafted by Grace. The business goal is to add something new to your party.
“I started out doing therapeutic crafting for myself just to create happiness. I just needed something.”
Grace worked with young offenders and troubled youth for 20 years. “I needed an outlet.”
The Balloons
Her husband first showed her the balloons, giving her the initial idea.
“I personalized a balloon for a friend and the rest is history. It blew up from there.” The pun was intended.
Her kids, Enza who is 14 years old, and Sophia who is 13 years old, help by blowing up balloons.
The Marquees
Her husband builds all the marquees, helps with delivery, and sets up at all the different events.”He started by making a number for someone’s birthday party. Someone else, after seeing that number, asked if we had another number.
The entire alphabet and set of numbers have been consequently created, made out of wood, built in their garage. Lights have also been added in the back.
“We have different coloured lights,” Grace told a story of a display they put together for someone who had recently passed away. “She was transgender. Her mom wanted her lights to be as bright as she was. Her whole name was done in rainbow colours.”
While she views working with young offenders for years as a call to help people, “This feels like a call to help people but it’s a new way of doing it.”
Crafted by Grace was born in 2020
“In the middle of the pandemic, when no one could celebrate or do anything, I made my first balloon for my friend for her daughter because they couldn’t do anything else. They wanted something special for her. So, it was this great big balloon with her name on it. A big clear balloon. Something people hadn’t seen before. It went from there.
“All through COVID, I had requests. It was growing so much, I decided to make it official. We’re registered, licensed, and insured.”
They just bought a delivery truck.”We were using a U-Haul truck so often, especially for the schools and school boards because the displays were so big.”
The Displays
“If people ask me to create something and I haven’t done it before, I’ll teach myself. I mean there is no balloon school, as far as I know.” We both laughed.
There is such a wide range of requests. There is really no limit.
“I work with balloons, arches, and garlands. I also do stuffed balloons. Currently, I have people who want stuffed balloons for Valentine’s Day for their kids.” These balloons are to be popped, releasing gifts that are inside.
“Now we have bookings all the way into October — for weddings, showers, birthday parties. People want these marquee letters just to brighten up their parties.”
Grace reflected, “It seems full circle now because I was in such a difficult job for so many years and now I work with balloons and I bring happiness to people. It feels good. There’s nothing better than when a person comes to pick up their order and I see the look on their face. And that is what I want every single time. It makes me so happy when they’re happy.”
She believes one reason their business is growing so easily is that it’s unique. She also attributes the growth to word of mouth.
Fitting The Happy Into Her Life
“I love the fact that I do it on my own time. I also have a job and my kids are super busy.”
She is able to combine the parts of her life. “I work with my sister in the middle of town. She owns the business, Creative Dining by Angie on Central Avenue. Quite often people come to pick up their balloons at my other job with my sister.”
Grace originally left her job working with young offenders to work with her sister. “I love cooking. So, it was a good transition from youth work to cooking. And then the balloons came later.”
She explained that, after she needed to make a job change for herself, it was like she and balloons found each other.
She Took A Leap Of Faith: The After Effects
Grace described her life after making this decision based on her own needs, leaving a big part of her life — and how hard it was. “But now I feel like I have done a 360 with people and my life. I don’t get angry as I did before. Everybody noticed a difference in me after I made this change in my life. I dropped a hundred pounds and the weight literally came off of my shoulders.”
Grace has no future plans except to go with the flow. “I’m letting things grow as they come to me. I never saw myself working with marquees and balloons before, but here I am. We’ll see what happens. I’m excited to see where it takes me.”
You can find Grace and her family on their Facebook Page, Crafted by grace.
Photo by Grace Wybraniak
