by Eric A Thomas
One Jacksonville native teamed up with two very talented crafters to launch a business called Green Haven early in 2021. The talent of the two, Jessica Lynn of One Knotty Maker and Carissa Hewitt of The Perfect Piece, inspired the third in this trio, Brynna Wilson, to polish the craft with which she had been experimenting.
Wilson combined her love for candles and her husband’s talent of making concrete containers to bring about the creation of Wilcrete in December 2020. “We took our last name Wilson and combined it with concrete to get our name. Everything we create is done out of our home, utilizing the kitchen, garage and basement,” she comments. With some trial and error — and lots of experimenting — they were able to come up with a product that pleased them both.
When developing the candles, it was important for Wilson to develop a safe and natural product that excluded things that could be a concern regarding health. The scents are from a clean fragrance oil line that makes oils which are safe to a person’s skin. There are no carcinogens, mutagens, reproductive toxins, organ toxins or acute toxins found in the oils used to create the scents. They use a crackling wooden wick for most of the candles. The wax that is used to make the candles is a coco-apricot blend. “It’s very soft, clean burning, biodegradable, natural, renewable, vegan and nontoxic,” Wilson adds.
Another unique product they created is diffuser beads. They can be “rebooted” to get multiple uses out of them. These items are great for in the car, the office or dorm room, a closet, bathroom, a drawer or anywhere else one chooses. “They are strong scented, and they will make an entire room smell amazing. They are lightweight and simple,” Wilson reports. In addition to all of their candle products, they offer many concrete items on their own. There are many different vessels created from concrete. Some examples include planters, trays, figures, incense holders and tabletop fire pits. Wilcrete offers refills on all candles in a concrete vessel.
The Wilcrete product line can be seen in Jacksonville at Green Haven, located at 66 E. Central Park Plz., Suite 100. Their products are also available at Down to Earth Sustainable in Taylorville; The Rooted Home in Farmersville; 618 Day Spa in Vandalia; and Plants and Pups pop-ups in Chatham/Springfield. Or check out their products through their Etsy shop at www.Etsy.com/shop/Wilcreteco. Additionally, Wilson takes her products to various markets throughout the year. One upcoming market, scheduled for December 5, is First Sunday Midwest Bazaar. It will be held on the Illinois State Fairgrounds in the Orr Building, 801 E. Sangamon Ave. in Springfield, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cost of admission is $5.00 per person, 12 and under are free.
Find and view Wilcrete products through their Facebook page, “Wilcrete,” and by searching @wilcrete on Instagram. Wilson, maiden name Welsh, graduated from Routt Catholic High School in 2010. She has a bachelor’s degree in human resources and technical management. She married Jamie Wilson in October 2020 and they have three children: Landon Turner (9), Emma Wilson (19) and Andrew Wilson (16).
