Do you have two left hands- a bit clumsy- but still need a Sinterklaas surprise? Cecile de Rooij from Acht has come up with the perfect solution. In her kitchen, she creates one surprise after another, selling her handcrafted designs online to customers across the country. “Sometimes the place is a mess,” she laughs.
Dinos, cats, dogs, and pigs—her kitchen table is full of these whimsical creations. Each year, she brings joy to dozens of ‘Clumsy Harrys’ with her unique Sinterklaas surprises. The idea first took root about eight years ago, when the 59-year-old IT worker was celebrating St Nicholas with her family.
“I made a little green Android doll for my husband. It was made from papier-mâché, and creating all the individual parts was a lot of work. But I thought, ‘Should I just throw this away? That seems such a waste.’ The next year, I put it on Marktplaats, and I got so many responses.”
It was a hit.
Since then, Cecile has started making her surprises every September. “The body is made from a detergent bottle, the cup is a balloon that’s been inflated, and everything is coated in layers of papier-mâché,” she explains, all while working on a cat-shaped creation.
In total, she spends about six hours working on each doll. Once the ad is posted on Marktplaats, the responses pour in. ‘From people who have two left hands and don’t know how to make something. Also, people who are moving house and have no time. They knock on my door.’
Charm
Buying a surprise for a loved one. Doesn’t that take away the charm of St Nicholas? ‘I also like it better when people make their own crafts. Yesterday I had someone inquire and didn’t buy anything. Because she wanted to make it herself anyway and then I give tips on how I do it.’
Yet Cecile’s surprises have been selling like hotcakes for years. She has since sold hundreds. ‘The cat is the most popular. I don’t know if this means cat people are lazy,’ she says, laughing.
Despite the success, she cannot yet say goodbye to her regular job. ‘No, it doesn’t make me a millionaire. I sell them for less than ten euros. I think the shipping companies earn more from it.’
Source: Studio040
For Eindhoven news: Chaitali Sengupta
