Although Mindy Rohr’s background is in elementary and special education, like many makers, her heart felt a calling to create. After becoming a stay-at-home mom a few years ago, Rohr started playing around with leather pieces to make earrings while her kids napped.
“I’ve always loved statement earrings and felt like I could walk out of the house if I have a great pair of earrings on,” says Rohr, who lives in Wausau.
Rohr decided to try her hand at creating jewelry, so she took her leather pieces and started watching videos of other makers, reading articles and doing plain old trial and error to see what worked. She started making earrings for friends for gifts and by request.
In 2017, she founded Adorned Accents to create the earrings, necklaces and bracelets she loved to make. Rohr uses leather as her main material, as well as brass and polymer clay for accent pieces. Items have a minimalist, boho bent with earrings shaped like petals and leaves, dangly tassels and simple brass hoops with leather half-circle details.
“[My] aesthetic is an eclectic mix of pieces that vary from season to season with every piece going back to meeting our lightweight, effortless criteria. We gather inspiration from natural forms and shapes through experimenting with different jewelry findings to create pieces that range from relaxed classic to feminine boho to understated romantic,” says Rohr.
Adorned Accents is sold on Etsy as well as local maker markets in the area (find her next at the Tansy Hill Barn Bazaar in Wausau on May 18). Rohr also started working with The Local in downtown Wausau (see right), which has been a great outlet for her work. Eventually, Rohr wants to expand the business as well as incorporate charitable projects into her portfolio. Recently she created a custom leather bracelet with part of the proceeds going to a local family whose little girl had therapy needs.
“I love knowing that women can wear these pieces and feel unique and special wearing handmade jewelry,” says Rohr. “I want them to walk away with a piece that they can quickly throw on and if that’s [one of] the only things they got to do that day to get ready was throw on a pair of earrings—they can still feel beautiful.”