Business Profile: Copper & Twine Artisan Boutique

Crafting an Alberta expansion

Demonstrating they have the metal and rope for business, a crafty mother/daughter team found Airdrie an ideal location for their Copper & Twine Artisan Boutique.

Ariel Weir and mother Lori Weech (pictured) provide a unique mix of Canadian-made products perfect for a little retail therapy. The business-minded duo hunt coast-to-coast for handmade artisan gifts and crafts"Everything is basically handmade. Our main goal is to have local, handmade items, from clothing to home decor, to bathroom. It's our main priority if we can get Canada-made first," says Weir.

Weir still runs a Copper & Twine in Ontario while mom Lori closed down an unrelated business in Beiseker to move to Airdrie, giving the boutique owners plenty of experience in the world of trade.

After a brief search for a suitable location the Creekside Village boutique, located on MacKenzie Way, opened in 2021.

Copper & Twine carry a bevy of products from jewellery, hand made purses, freeze dried candies, baby gifts, bath goods, customized mugs and tumblers, novelty items and much more.

More a passion then a business, Weir says they offer something for everyone.

"(Customers) can vary from 18 up to 70 (years). There's really such a wide range. There are so many gift ideas and most of the time you're not even shopping for yourself," says Weir who relies on the personal touch to bring in repeat customers.

"When you're going into a small shop there's usually only one person and it's a nice chat and shopping all at the same time. You leave a little bit more refreshed than when how you came in."

With a zeal for crafting, the boutique also carries a line of Dixie Belle and Fusion paints through Ancora Decor, as well as stencil kits perfect for refinishing furniture and artistic ventures.

"We have a lot of people come in and buying paint. The crafty side does very well," says Weech.

Like a decoration finished with a little twine and copper, the boutique team have tied up the Airdrie business advantage with a nice ribbon.

"As it turns out with the way COVID and the market has gone we can't afford to live in Ontario," says Weir who utilizes social media for exposure. "The Airdrie community has been awesome. Everything has gone really well."

You can stop by Copper & Twine Artisan Boutique at 6120, 403 MacKenzie Way or browse the Copper & Twine website. 

Story and photography by Carl Patzel