A Dream Come True
For us and you!
We make creative self-expression and community accessible to all by offering space and appropriate materials.
What does that look like?
We primarily operate as a gathering space, supported by retail, a creative makerspace, and small-scale food/beverage offerings.
Perrywinks exists to:
Encourage and make space for individual and collective creativity
Elevate local artists, crafters, and creators of all types
Educate community on sustainability, upcycling, and creative skills
Perrywinks leans toward a social entrepreneurship venture, prioritizing people over profits in alignment with conscious capitalism.
We are proud to lower the barrier for connection and creativity by offering low-cost or free creative supplies and opportunities. We take the best of places we love (crafts! coffee! fun stuff to buy!) and combine them into a single gathering point, giving customers a scaffold to experience or connect in whatever way they need.
Perrywinks History
2015: Wrote the first business plan for a crafty makerspace
[Many years of research, plotting, and gathering experience]
2023: Began working with an advisor from the Miami Valley SBDC / Entrepreneur’s Center
2024: Hired a naming firm, filed for our LLC, and developed branding
2025: Searched for the right building
2026: Hard at work setting up shop!
Business & Cultural Values
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This is a people-centered place, designed with customers in mind first. We considered the journey of an individual when assembling what the space includes and how it is designed. We aim to operate with what actually matters to customers: Good wifi, plenty of outlets, ample parking, available space, drinks and snacks.
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Do the things that bring joy, make you notice the little details in life, use all your senses, honor your inner child.
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As much as possible, we aim to be transparent with pricing and sourcing. We’ll name who we work with to create the space, and frequently refer to outside community members and other small businesses. We believe a rising tide lifts all boats, and the key to success is found in partnerships and community, rather than in isolation. We aim to create a supportive, positive community with all makers and businesses.
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Incorporating education in all aspects of operations, including small business operations, empowering effective usage of materials with free resources, offering assistance and training in the makerspace, and displaying information on the building, staff, and land. We assume we have room to learn something new, and we all have something we can teach. We want to create small moments of education baked into operations, from informal education (craft nights where folks can work simultaneously and swap tips), to more organized opportunities like workshops or lectures.
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With an environment-centric business model, Perrywinks will provide a space for sustainable living ideas. This earth-first mentality includes prioritizing renewable energy when possible, reducing unnecessary waste, and playing a role in re-using existing items. Making every effort to reduce our carbon footprint and help others do the same.
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We will emphasize making a safe space for all people, providing opportunities an platforms for marginalized communities whenever possible.
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We’re anti-hustle culture. We encourage leisure, rest, and downtime, knowing that well-rested people with time to explore different ideas leads to better lives and Perrywinks results that the hustle culture is after anyway.
Why “Perrywinks”?
In short, it’s a unique name that’s fantastical, whimsical, cozy, and curious. It elicits a welcoming, creative environment and feels like a shop tucked into a historic/magical commercial corridor.
The naming process: For years, I referred to this idea as “The Shop.” When it became time to get serious about the business (i.e. file for an LLC), I decided to hire a naming firm as the very first thing I invested actual money in — that’s how much I believed in creating a special, unique, just-right name. I worked with Jingleheimer on a branding process, identifying what the name should feel like, concepts we wanted to avoid, and how different names sounded in conversation or looked on a coffee cup.
Note on branding: This process helped solidify overall branding direction, eventually feeding into our logo creation process with the phenomenal Dayton-based firm, Jetpack. (They even won a Silver Addy for our branding suite!)
A note from our Founder
Perrywinks is the manifestation of an idea planted in 2015. While living in the DC suburbs, I found myself in the parking lot of my apartment complex designing a prototype for a handmade Christmas present on the back of a dresser drawer — the only scrap wood I could find and the only space big enough to work.
A thought took root — what if there was a place? A place for folks who love making but don’t have the resources like time, space, or experience to create what brings them joy. I wrote a business plan during my maternity leave - an outflow of my dreams written during the first time I didn’t have a job or school occupying all my brain space.
I sat on the idea for 8 years, tentatively mentioning the idea to friends and testing the market. When I stepped down from my career and both my kids started school, I finally had the opportunity to leap. It’s been a slow motion leap to be fair, cautiously building a plan that made sense for my community and family.
This shop is the best combination of the things I love. My first job was helping launch and run a coffee shop in my small Ohio hometown. I’m a proud 4H alum, where I learned to sew clothes and run a mini business (that is, if you count raising and selling a couple of pigs!). I spent years in a digital communications career, flexing my creativity to write and create content for national nonprofits.
Now I spend most of my time engaged in some creative endeavor, and get such a kick out of learning new practices and sharing what I know.
Can’t wait to meet everyone soon!
- Sarah
Join the team
We’re looking for experienced operations managers, makers, baristas, and kind folks to help run the shop. Stay tuned for official jobs postings, or send us a note now with your info so we can hit the ground running!
The Vendors & Partners Behind Our Launch