The culmination of months of hard work and cramped hands, the Westwood Fiber Arts Club opened their one-day sale in the atrium on Thursday, Feb. 8. Selling Valentine-themed crochet items such as keychains and plushies, the sale attracted attention from students and staff alike.
“This sale was very successful,” Fiber Arts Club Secretary Joy Kim ‘26 said. “We sold out half of what we made in the morning [alone] and there were lots of people buying.”
Preparation for the sale was a months long process, as club members planned and made inventory.
”Everything that was sold was handmade by our club members,” Kim said. “They also helped set up the booth.”
Promoting their very first sale at the school, the club decorated school walls with flyers and took to posting on social media.
“About a week or two before the event started we put up flyers and created Instagram posts advertising for the event,” Fiber Arts Club Vice President Kylie Bojorquez ‘24 said. “The week of the event we had school announcements with details on when and where the event [would] occur. Advertising for our event this way helped gain lots of attention and people immediately swarmed our booth as we set up in the morning.”
Fiber Arts Club made inspiration their own, taking cues from crochet businesses on what products to sell and booth design.
“The most popular items were the bees and keychains,” Fiber Arts Club President Aaron Yuan ‘26 said. “Lots of crochet things [relate to] Valentine’s Day and we knew it would be a great idea to start a fundraiser close to the holiday. At first, I was afraid that we wouldn’t get enough sales but I’m so relieved and grateful of the large number of students and teachers who were willing to buy to support us.”
Proceeds from the sale will be donated to Warm Up America, a fiber arts-based organization that helps the homeless stay warm during harsh winters and weather conditions.
“Warm Up America helps those in need by providing warm blankets,” Bojorquez said. “This organization typically takes donations of crocheted or knitted squares and then [stitches] them up to make warm blankets. Our club has worked with Warm Up America before [by donating squares], however, this time we will be donating the profits of our sale.”
Focusing on their impact on the school community, Fiber Arts Club was able to lift the spirits of those who visited and purchased from their booth.
“Crochet definitely makes me happy and I truly feel that it’s the same for everyone who bought these pieces,” Yuan said. “I’m just so happy that we were able to spread some joy to our customers.”
