by John Dowd
One thing the Bitterroot Valley is well known for is the vast number of crafters and makers of all number of things. From furniture to decorative pieces, and everything in between, artisans of all kinds can be found in the area. One family decided to open the doors on a place for many of those makers to sell their wares.
Montana Made Gifts opened in February and has seen their host of goods grow to include those made by over 50 vendors. Most of them are from the Bitterroot Valley.
Sandy Besemann, owner of Montana Made Gifts, said they give each vendor their own space to display their creations, and everything has been going surprisingly well.
According to Besemann, she comes from generations of crafters and her daughters are taking it on as well. They started young, even marketing their own crafts since middle school. She raised her three daughters, Andrea Adams, Michelle Wangstad and Sara Cox, in the Stevensville area.
For Besemann, the business has been that much more fun because her daughters all pitch in. She said it works out pretty well, with her first daughter being a crafter and into photography, her second daughter acting as the business partner and the third running social media.
They used to visit all the craft shows in the area, and Besemann made a line of children’s and baby clothes. Now she sells some of her stuff in the store, and a daughter has a line of skincare products they also sell.
“It’s just a family thing, all of us do a little bit; something different,” said Besemann. She said she always wanted to have a storefront, but not just for her.
Having been active in the crafter community, finding people who needed the space to show their items was not hard. She added that they have seen a lot of interest in opening a shop since the beginning, so
“It was not a challenge to fill the space,” said Besemann. For many, it meant an opportunity to have “a place they can show it off.”
And they have lots of variety. Montana Made Gifts has options for tourists and locals: “every day, reasonably priced gift items.” Most of their stuff does not compete with other local craft stores, some of which sell higher-priced items that are more shopper or centerpiece and art-themed goods. Montana Made Gifts fall more into the “every day” category.
The shop even has a ceramic studio in the back. Besemann described it as a “self-serve studio,” where customers can visit and choose their ceramic sculpture and paint it. The sculptures are then left to get fired and finished. When they are finished, the customer can pick them back up.
The ceramics shop is always open when the store is open. Parties can call ahead to make sure space will be available. Besemann said they love to have groups come participate, and said it is a “fun family or group activity,” not just for kids, but parties, birthdays, etc. “Something to do that’s just fun.”
For those interested in selling, the store makes a commission on the sales, but vendors also rent the space, and if they volunteer to work the store one shift a month, they get a large discount on their rental. Besemann said this is a “great way to promote what you’re selling.” Additionally, this helps customers build an “emotional connection” to the crafter and their craft.
Besemann said they are “trying to get more involved with the community,” participating in First Friday events, planning on participating in the Scarecrow Festival and joining various community groups.
Montana Made Gifts are open seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. They are open during the Stevensville farmers market, and put up signage, so people visiting can find them.
For more information, interested parties can contact the store directly for a space. However, they try not to have multiple vendors selling the same things. They can be contacted by calling (406) 625-2055 or by emailing montanamadegifts406@gmail.com. Their website is montanamadegifts406.com. They are located at 202 Main Street in Stevensville.
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