Grand Opening – Court’s Place

Emporia, KS – Court’s Place, located at 9 West Nineth Ave., is now the new home to Handcrafted by Court. This new business venue is a gift shop featuring goods from Handcrafted by Court and several local businesses- plus a DIY Studio where crafters can paint and create all types of home décor and more.

Courtney Steffes, Court’s Place owner, has been making custom apparel fashion since 2016 and participating in vendor events since 2017. While working in the IT industry after graduating from Emporia State University in 2019, Steffes knew she wanted to find a way to turn her passion into a profession.

In 2021, Steffes enroll in Emporia Main Street’s Start Your Own Business class to learn more about launching her concept.

Quote about the SYOB class

After graduating from the SYOB class, Steffes officially opened Handcrafted by Court.

After operating for several years out of her home office and pop-up locations, Handcrafted by Court will be making the transitions to Court’s Place located at 9 West Nineth Avenue in downtown Emporia, right around the corner from Jack’s Lawn and Pool Store.

“This transition from home office to storefront has been a marathon”, explains Steffes. “I am looking forward to having my spare bedroom back at our house and to being able to offer a creative space for the community. I’ve been blessed with a space that I have been able to customize and bring my full vision to life. I would not have been able to get the repairs, painting and moving done without the help of my family and friends.”

By moving into a storefront, Steffes will be able to participate in several Holiday events in a new capacity.

“Downtown Emporia is such an exciting place to be”, says Steffes. “Quarter four is so important to retailers and I’m excited to join Emporia Main Street with their holiday selling efforts like Small Business Saturday, Quartermaina and Sip n Shop.”

For those who want to get creative, November and December are already packed with classes at Court’s Place. From porch signs to seasonal gnomes, to Christmas Crafts – there is a class for everyone!

“We are really looking forward to having Court’s Place in the downtown mix of businesses,” says Casey Woods, Executive Director for Emporia Main Street. “Additional retail and experience opportunities are high on the list for customers. We are happy to see yet another SYOB graduate open the doors to their own business and are excited to work with Courtney in the future.”

The Grand Opening for Court’s place is set for the evening of Thursday, November 16th from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Guest will be able to enjoy cupcakes and light refreshments, shop the retail space and enter to win a One Guided Canvas Class and Handcrafted by Court Merch. For more information on store hours and upcoming classes, please visit Court’s Place on Facebook at facebook.com/handcraftedbycourt