The early days of the COVID-19 pandemic ushered in an era of experimentation—baking sourdough bread, learning TikTok dances, mastering pickleball shots. In Crested Butte resident Carolyn Huresky’s case, arts and crafts ruled. Although Huresky had never taken an art class before, she began making illuminated shadow boxes and selling them at local markets. The intricate scenes were popular but took far too long to construct. Then, before Crested Butte’s 2023 holiday bazaar, Huresky stumbled upon a gondola-shaped garland on Pinterest. “I thought it was so neat,” she says, “but we don’t have gondolas here; we have chairlifts.”

With the help of an electronic cutting machine, she turned cardstock into tiny chairlifts and notable Crested Butte buildings that better represented the town where she’s lived for 23 years. “I never had anything sell like the chairlift garland,” Huresky says, “and I thought, OK, maybe I’ve got something here.” This past May, she launched Creative Garland Company, which makes laser-cut paper garlands inspired by life in the Rockies. From columbine flowers to aspen leaves to mountain bikes, each design adds a touch of local pride to holiday decorating. Starting at $15 for a nine-foot-long garland

5280 December 2024
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This article was originally published in 5280 December 2024.
Michelle Shortall
Michelle Shortall
Michelle Shortall is a senior editor at 5280, where she manages Compass and writes and edits home stories for 5280.com.