Little did Sonal Kumar, now a senior at High School North, know that what she began on a boring day three years ago would grow into a business. Just after her family moved to Plainsboro from Somerset she discovered the pieces of “pinkish-gold” wires that her father had discarded while fixing the speakers in the family room. She began braiding the pieces and added gold birthday gift ribbon to create a bracelet.
“When I wore it to school the next day, I got too many compliments to count,” she says. “After a while, I started crafting more and more things that my friends wanted to have and eventually, I did it whenever I had free time.”
Trinkets by Sonal was named because of the trinkets, found objects, and wires, with the addition of paper doilies, seashells, pieces of metal, and usually ribbon. “I love ribbon and wires — those are mainly my two starters for anything,” she says. She gets her supplies not from the usual area craft stores, but from Home Depot, Wegmans, Whole Foods, Hallmark, and even her basement. At the Fall Craft Fair at North on Saturday, October 14, she will sell unique jewelry for the holidays and will be donating 100 percent of her profits to Womanspace, a shelter for abused and neglected woman in Mercer County.
Sonal’s parents, Subash Kumar and Rita Anand, are in an international garment business, producing and wholesaling goods for retail stores around the world.
Says Sonal: “I take really random things from really random places and put them all together to make something really interesting.” One of her favorite necklaces is one she made out of a thick strand of a forest green silk curtain, added some gold balls and shimmering items, and used it for a secret Santa gift for someone in her journalism class.
“I am not catering to retailers — I simply make pieces for my family, friends, and recently, my teachers,” she says. Sonal works mostly with necklaces because she feels that people notice a necklace faster than a bracelet.
“I only make one thing once, and that’s what I feel is most unique about my jewelry,” says Sonal, who sells her jewelry at flea markets including Rice’s in Pennsylvania, and school craft fairs. “One necklace inspires me to make another one,” she says. “I make sure what my customer is receiving is truly special.”
Although she doesn’t have time to be a regular volunteer with Womanspace, she contributes articles to them and writes about their events in the school paper. “I think what Womanspace offers our community is truly something special,” she says. “I keep in touch with Susan Adams, the volunteer coordinator, who lets me know when events are happening.”
Several events to benefit high school scholarship, post prom, sports, and music programs are upcoming in the next few weeks:
Garage Sale, High School South Pirate Marching Band, 19 Penn Lyle Road, West Windsor, 609-799-8891. Saturday, October 14, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Fall Fest Crafts Show, WW-P High School North PTSA, 90 Grovers Mill Road, Plainsboro, 609-716-5000, ext. 5100. www.ww-p.org. Unique purses, jewelry, designer baby clothing, doggie fashions and pet accessories, scrapbooks, photo albums, hand-carved exotic wooden bowls. Also dried and silk flower arrangements, Halloween and Christmas pieces, handmade quilts, oil and watercolor paintings, food, spa products, and stuff for kids. Free. Saturday, October 14, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Flea Market, WW-P High School South, 346 Clarksville Road, West Windsor, 609-799-5099. Annual benefit to support scholarship programs, Post Prom, school clubs, mini grant programs, and PTSA activities. New and used merchandise, area businesses and community organizations, and school clubs. Rain or shine. Saturday, October 14, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Clothing Drive, High School North Post Prom, 90 Grovers Mill Road, Plainsboro, 609-716-5000, ext. 5100. Benefit for the drug and alcohol-free party after the prom. Items should be in plastic bags and brought to the loading dock to the right rear of the high school. Tax deductible receipts available. Saturday, October 14, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Benefit, High School South Girls Soccer, Emack & Bolio’s, Southfield Shopping Center, Princeton-Hightstown Road, West Windsor, 609-936-9722. A percentage of sales from ice cream, coffee, and smoothies benefit the team. Guest scooper is coach Chris Miller. Wednesday, October 18, 5 to 9 p.m.
Clothing Drive, High School South Post Prom 2006, Clarksville Road, West Windsor, 609-933-3077. www.wwpsouth.org. Bring used clothing including outerwear, shoes, boots, hats, belts, ties, scarves, handbags, linens, curtains, sheets, towels, and stuffed animals in sturdy plastic bags. Bring to loading dock in Penn-Lyle parking lot. Tax deductible receipts are available. Rain or shine. Saturday, November 4, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Bake Sale, High School South Pirate Marching Band, Acme, West Windsor, 609-799-8891. Sunday, November 5, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
