An inside look at the students behind Craft Club
Resin molds gleam under desk lamps, trays of beads shimmer like treasure, and the air carries a faint scent of glue and acrylic paint. This is the heartbeat of the Craft Club—a quiet buzz of creation where students spend their free time shaping not just art, but expression.
At any given meeting, Cornell’s Craft Club provides a portal to creativity, a chance to explore the edges of a students’ imagination in an environment with like-minded individuals. The students gather once a week, sharing their specialties, creating holiday-themed crafts, and making plans for the future. Between stitches and brushstrokes, laughter bubbles up and quiet conversations unfold, as the students share their struggles and triumphs since the last meeting.
“I wish more people knew that crafting is accessible—you don't need to buy a ton of supplies or spend a lot of money, and you definitely don't need generative AI programs to do the work for you,” said Adelaide Ries ‘28, who just wrapped up her first year as a Cornell crafter. “Oftentimes, art can be as simple as picking up a pencil and doodling on a scrap of paper, or taking photos with your cell phone.”
Every year in Block 4 and Block 8, the group shares their creations with the campus and surrounding community by hosting a craft fair. Students set up booths on the Orange Carpet to sell stickers, terrariums, resin keychains, and art from recycled materials.
We sat down with members of Craft Club to learn more about the artists behind the booths—their inspirations, their friendships, and what being part of this creative community truly means to them.
Name: Alecks Brozo ’27
Major: Creative writing, with a minor in ecology
What is your favorite crafting medium?
Resin. I was literally bored one summer and decided to go to the store and get some resin and molds, and it just started the obsession with it.
How does crafting help you here at Cornell?
It's honestly been a mental lifesaver through the stresses of my first semester on campus, and it offers me a way to wind down on the weekends because I can do some pours and then go about my day while it cures.
How does crafting tie into your future goals and plans?
I truly don't think it will tie in at all, but I plan to keep doing it for the anti-anxiety qualities it offers me.
Name: Elena Gonzalez ‘26 (she/her)
Major: Creative writing, with a minor in studio art
What is your favorite crafting medium?
I like making necklaces. I can spend over 40 hours over the course of a block or two working on necklaces.
What's one craft you haven't gotten to try yet, but you hope to learn in the future?
I would like to try deco art with welding! I learned how to weld back in high school from a class and I would love to learn to do it one day.
As president of the craft club, what plans do you have for the future?
We want to have every block be tied into an activity for whatever is the next holiday, like making your own Valentine’s candy or cards for your friends. Or having a scavenger hunt for Easter eggs.
How does crafting tie into your future goals and plans?
I already have my own full-time business set up, so this is not just going to stop here in college. It's going to continue even after I get out.
Name: Isabella Leo ’26
Major: Creative writing, with a minor in ecology
How did you get into crafting?
I’ve been drawing and sketching out fashion designs since I was a little kid. I was also always curious about crochet growing up, but all I knew how to do was a basic row. As more patterns surfaced online, I was finally able to really get into it in June of this year.
Have you used crafting in any of your classes here at Cornell?
My creative writing class with Katy Stavreva, called Dante’s World-building. For the class I had a journal where I would pose questions, summarize sections that we read for the day, add imagery, and so forth. We were told we couldn't have a spiral notebook and that we needed to be as creative with the outside as we were with the inside. So, I printed out tons of photos and pasted them in with hidden quotes underneath, burnt the books outside, and drew a digital photo and pasted it on the front of my journal. I think that it was fun for me to be graded based on the vastness of my work and creativity, showing my understanding of Dante through many mediums.
How does crafting tie into your future goals and plans?
This ties into the art business that I want to make one day, where I can sell prints, crochet, and more.
Name: Adelaide Ries ’28
Major: Creative writing and gender and sexuality studies, with a minor in sociology
How did you get into crafting?
When I was a kid, I received a Klutz felt craft kit and taught myself to hand sew. Eventually, I got better and better, and since my mom had been attending craft sales as a vendor for my entire life, I started to join her in selling my own felt crafts! It has remained one of my favorite hobbies for years now, always serving as a kind of mindless escape from everything stressful in my life.
What is your favorite part of being involved with this group?
My favorite part of Craft Club and selling at the craft fair is seeing what everybody else comes up with! Everyone in the group is so creative and talented, and they all create such intricate and detailed work that can really put a smile on your face.
How does crafting tie into your future goals and plans?
I'm incredibly ambitious, and I want to properly pursue as many of my interests as possible. While I might not be able to work many art classes into my schedule here at Cornell, I intend to continue crafting in my free time, hopefully extending my reach to the Mount Vernon community.
Name: Isabella Strauss ’26
Major: Studio art and biology double major
What is your favorite crafting medium?
My craft of choice is any medium and any form. As an artist and someone who cares about the environment, I always try to craft with recycled materials and that can inspire different crafts.
How does crafting help you here at Cornell?
I love being able to find my materials and experiment on a small scale in my dorm room. It helps me de-stress and inspires me to be more creative when I am feeling burnt out.
How does crafting tie into your future goals and plans?
Crafting is an art form in itself, so as an artist and art major, it is something I will be doing in my free time for a very long time!