Wren House Gifts: A 20-Year Tradition in Worthington
In March 1994, about 20 women opened Wren House Gifts in Downtown Worthington as a place to sell their handmade gift items. It was an instant success. Current owner Mandy Enoch came along six years after they opened and started working at
the shop while still a teenager. As time went on, some of the consignors moved on to other things in life, while Enoch continued to work at the shop on weekends during high school and college. Her level of responsibility increased during this time, and five years ago she became the sole owner. “At first, my mom wanted me to get a job here so she could get a discount. Now my mom works here for me,” Enoch said.
Today, Enoch fills the store with items from about 50 consignors, antiques, furniture, gifts and a host of collectibles. Everything in the store is for sale, she said, joking about the day she took wallpaper border off the wall to sell it to a customer. Now she focuses more on home decor than ever before, featuring a wide range of nice items that are not outrageously priced. “I want things to be reasonably priced so there is something for everybody,” Enoch said. “When you walk in, you walk out with something.”
The shop, with its two floors of merchandise, features popular items like Tyler Candles, Lori Mitchell figurines, Cat’s Meow collectibles, furniture made by Paul Osborne, OSU gift items, and floral arrangements and painted items from Jolene, a Dublin-based artist and one of the shop’s top consignors.
Enoch insists that Christmas is the busiest time of the year for Wren House Gifts–especially with the annual Holiday Open House in November–but she admits that the Worthington Farmers Market also brings plenty of foot traffic through the door. As the owner, Enoch continues to feature local artists and handmade items, but she also likes to change things up a bit and is always on the lookout for new and interesting things to sell.
Best of all, Enoch likes the fact that Wren House Gifts is a place that makes people happy. “People get uplifted when they come in here,” she said. “I want to make sure we maintain that positive feeling.”
For more information about Wren House Gifts, go to wrenhousegifts.com or visitworthingtonohio.com.
Wren House Gifts Store Hours
Mon. through Sat. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sun. Noon to 5 p.m.