KaRis Kreations makes happy memories with dolls
Published:Tuesday | September 1, 2020 | 12:09 AMJudana Murphy/Gleaner Writer
When Karis Bailey’s daughter was about to graduate from Westwood High School 16 years ago, she wanted to give her a meaningful and long-lasting gift.
This gave birth to KaRis Kreations, which started out as a hobby for Bailey, and now has blossomed into a business. She creates school memorabilia in the form of dolls.
Bailey said that as a child, she was a loner and so dolls played an integral part in her happiness.
“I started KaRis Kreations because of my love for dolls, and creating a doll for my daughter, dressed in her school uniform, was the ideal gift,” she told The Gleaner.
The idea was pitched to Hampton School, another educational institution attended by her daughter, and with the approval of students, the dolls have been a part of their graduation package since 2005.
Several other schools have come on board over the years; part proceeds of the sales are donated to needy students at Westwood High School.
“Kids are my passion and my dream is to have KaRis Kreations grow in a way that I can really assist kids who are in need. When you help these kids, the sense of gratitude that you get from them, money cannot compare in anyway,” she said.
Currently, the dolls are made to order at the request of schools and are only being sold through the respective institutions.
“The uniform, crest and the image really belong to the school and we are not in the business of exploiting the schools,” she said, adding that the dolls are reasonably priced.
In 2019, Bailey decided to make the business official. She said that she wants to expand her business across the island.
“It’s a tall order but we intend to do it,” said Bailey. “I’ve been having a lot of requests for boys and we are definitely working on the boys – that is our next move.”