Feb 10, 2010

Appreciation of simply made products leads to downtown Lynden shopBy Dave GallagherBellinghamHerald.com

Cindy Hanson is a fan of sharing memories of times gone by, and it’s turning out to be a good business idea.

Last week Hanson opened The Candle Baker Gift Shop at 310 Front St. in Lynden.

The 900-square-foot gift store had been a part of her home-based business before moving it to the downtown district. The store sells a variety of items that Hanson makes at home, including candles, soaps and “primitives” décor – simply-made products sometimes referred to the style used in the early American Colonial era.

“I hear all kinds of stories when people see these primitives, remembering about when a parent used these kinds of products, like candles,” Hanson said.

She’s also opened a craft outlet store next door, allowing local artists to sell handmade items, including baby products and stained glass art.

Hanson started Candle Baker out of her home, making the products and selling them through an eBay store as well as out of the house. She decided to move the gift shop portion of the business to Front Street in Lynden because of the increased traffic and a desire to be a downtown merchant.

“I hate to see an empty building in downtown Lynden,” Hanson said.

Although she hasn’t been in her new space long, she’s already appreciative of the neighboring merchants.

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