MadCraftin's Rad Crafts
UWEC student Madison Dier owns MadCraftin, handmade jewelry and embroidery business
If you visit one of downtown Eau Claire’s craft stores or meander through the Phoenix Park farmers market, chances are you’ve seen jewelry by Madison Dier.
Dier, a third-year social work student at UW-Eau Claire, is also the owner of MadCraftin, her jewelry-making business supplying customers with stone necklaces, stamped rings and pendants, embroidery, and more.
“I started out with stamping, from there I went into more wire-based jewelry,” Dier said. “I do a lot of wire wrapping now, which is a lot more tasking. I can make stamped stuff pretty quickly, but wire-based things take a lot more time.”
Dier hails from a crafty crew: Family members make everything from stained glass lamps to “every bed in our house.” She said her dad and grandparents encouraged her artistic beginnings through their own practice.
“They’ve all been really crafty,” Dier said. “And any time I’d be working on something, my dad would say that I was “mad craftin,’ ” so that’s where I got the name.”
Since starting MadCraftin four years ago, Dier has kept busy, selling her unique wares in stores such as Tangled Up in Hue, at Eau Claire Downtown Farmers Market, and through her online store.
Luckily, balancing school and her business isn’t too hard, Dier said, because she’d spend her free time crafting anyway.
On the MadCraftin website, Dier has installed a map showing where her customers are, with the goal of completely filling it in. So far, MadCraftin goods have made it to 24 states, Canada, Germany, and Australia.
“I really enjoy finding out where my jewelry has been,” Dier said. “The biggest milestone for me was selling to Australia. I have no idea how I did that. It was very, very exciting.”
A social work major, Dier puts emphasis on support for underrepresented groups and offers options to donate to various nonprofits when customers purchase her items. Dier also wrote a series of blogs through her website, advocating for body positivity, mental health, and gender equality.
“It’s nice for people to know that they’re buying from a fellow student, and a young queer artist,” she said. “I want to use what I have to give other artists the spotlight too.”
Her next plans are expanding to more retailers, including goals for a store in Milwaukee, Madison, and the Twin Cities.
Dier also plans to stay in Eau Claire this summer and sell every week at the farmers market. After four years with MadCraftin, Dier joked that she was surprised at how much she still enjoys it.
“It’s a lot of time, and work, and a lot of months without sales. So when I have a sale or a farmers market that goes really well, it all feels worth it,” Dier said. “It's a rewarding feeling to know that someone would want to wear something that I’ve made.”
Visit MadCraftin at madcraftin.com and on Instagram and Facebook.
