This month marks the ten year anniversary for a shop that is a bit of a hidden gem in Dresden, Pahasque’s Needful Things.
The store is owned and operated by Janis Price who creates beautiful handmade gifts and items for her store. Her Native American heritage shows through in both the store’s name and the merchandise she sells. Janis is half Sioux Indian and is an enrolled member of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe. The name Pahasque was something that Janis was called by her grandfather. Years later she found out that Pahasque meant “yellow hair” in the Sioux language. The nickname was perfect because Janis was the only grandchild out of seven to have light hair.
When you walk into the shop, located at 17 East 6th Street in Dresden, Ohio, you will be amazed by the array of items that are on display in what is seemingly a small shop. The amount of products she offers is just incredible, especially when you realize that much of the store is filled with handmade treasures from carefully crafted one-of-a-kind jewelry, to intricately woven pine needle baskets, to beautiful hardwood furniture. You can easily get lost browsing all of the truly unique items that fill the store. A few other items that Janis makes include; macramé wall hangings and owls, hats and scarves, medicine bags, doilies and various leather wares.
Janis’ husband, Tim, enjoys woodworking and has crafted several items for the shop. Possibly the most surprising fact about all the furniture, walking sticks, and décor made from wood is that Tim uses the downed trees on their property and turns them into furniture that will last a lifetime. One of the key pieces in the store currently is a Windsor chair made from Poplar, Maple and Oak trees. Janis explained how different kinds of wood are used to make the chair. Oak is pliable so it can be bent to create the back and maple is sturdy and perfect for the legs. Since her husband does not like to waste anything he will use leftover wood to create something or repurpose material to create another thing. As an example, the American flag wall décor in the shop is made from repurposed fence boards.
There is also a selection of original paintings and prints from various artists including Rick Wisecarver, Leslie Cope, world-renowned artist Janis Price (Tim’s mother), and store owner Janis’ son Michael Peck. Handmade offerings from other artisans are also available for sale. The trees of life and crochet doilies are a couple that come to mind.
If you are on the hunt for antiques you are in luck because Pahasque’s Needful Things has a nice selection. The most intriguing piece that caught my eye was the McCaskey Account Register from Alliance, Ohio. There are also quite a few dolls, Fenton glass collectibles, glass animals, and more.
Be sure to stop in and congratulate Janis on ten years in business. Let’s help her make this year the best one yet!
