Here are some of the crafts you can expect to find:
Melanie Alexandre, the EH&S subject matter expert for ergonomics, participated in the fair for the first time last year after discovering her love of Zen garden building during the early months of the pandemic.
A zen garden to relax and refresh.
“I started making these for my mindfulness by painting rocks, and then I started upcycling found materials to make the boxes and rakes. I use recycled paint so it doesn’t go into the landfill,, and I recycle picture frames to make the boxes. I was surprised at the response. I sold out in a few hours. I think this is a great test bed. We’re a research place, after all, and the craft fair is an opportunity to get feedback on what you’re working on.”
A holiday take on a sustainable gift.
The Lab’s Sustainable Garden Club members get together to make living arrangements with a holiday touch to sell at the craft fair,” said Doina Ciobanu from the Biosciences area. “Making the arrangements allows us to tap into our creative side, to engage in other parts of our brain. When it comes time to staff the booth, we love the interaction with people. We also raffle off some of the products, and the whole thing adds to a holiday atmosphere.”
“My first Berkeley Lab holiday craft fair experience as a vendor and a visitor of other vendors was above my expectations,” said Hee Jung Cho, a postdoc fellow at JGI. “It was my first experience to sell my homemade products such as milk buns, pavlovas, and holiday decorations. I met tons of amazing fellow scientists visiting my table during the craft fair and had pleasant conversations. It was truly a great experience to see how talented they are and to hear about their art and science.”
Jenn Tang, Director, Community Relations, says this is the 26th edition of the craft fair, and it’s a tradition that adds to the Lab’s culture. “It’s a craft fair, but I think it’s so much more. The energy in the room is incredible. People who haven’t connected in person for so long have conversations and discuss research and what they’re working on. It is a fun event for the vendors and the shoppers.”
