BEAUMONT, Texas — Brittany Pellerin’s kitchen looks like a Christmas craft store aisle exploded.
“It’s like we have an at-home Hobby Lobby,” Pellerin said. “There’s glitter everywhere.”
The Beaumont Enterprise reports the Lamar University senior has spent several weekends crafting wreaths, tree toppers and centerpieces – something she’s done for five years to help cover tuition costs.
This year, she added a new service: professional tree decorating.
Pellerin is an artist, and 9-foot Christmas trees are her specialty.
“I use mesh netting inside the trees to manipulate all the tulle, drapes and ribbon that go around the tree,” said Pellerin, a Port Neches native.
The biology major said tree decorating has always been a tradition shared by her and her mother.
“We have a specific process when we decorate the tree. It’s probably because we’re both perfectionists,” Pellerin said.
She said her father, the only male in the house, will give a thumbs up or down on how the trees are dressed, which in the past have included cheetah and peppermint-themed creations.
“He likes all the styles we’ve done, but he isn’t a fan of all the glitter,” Pellerin said.
After posting pictures this year on Facebook of the family’s peacock-themed tree, Pellerin said she got a handful of tree orders in less than two weeks.
Pellerin schedules appointments with clients during the gaps in her full-time school schedule. When she arrives, decorations purchased by her customers await.
Priscilla Young, one of Pellerin’s clients, said she saw a picture of the tree she wanted and told her sister, “I wish I could just pay someone to do it for me.”
Young and her sister found Pellerin’s Facebook page, “The Wreath House,” and booked the appointment.
With the stress that comes from picking up her children from school, cooking and cleaning, Young said she didn’t even have time to purchase the decorations, so she gave Pellerin the money and full control to make the picture a reality.
Pellerin delivered.
Even though she plans to one day work inside a lab, Pellerin said she’ll never be cured of her crafting fever.
When Christmas concludes, she intends to continue her crafting business.
Pellerin makes crosses from railroad nails that she sells to local vendors. She said she got the idea for the crosses when her family received one as a gift the night of her great grandfather’s funeral.
Pellerin said her next challenges include designing decorations for a New Year’s Eve party and for a wedding reception scheduled for early next year.
