Made in Vermont: Hazelbuds Clay Co.

BRISTOL, Vt. (WCAX) – Hazelbuds Clay Co. is an homage to Earth and a creative outlet for owner and artist Emma Riesner.

“I make miniature mushroom earrings, planters, candle holders, trinket dishes from upcycled, unwanted, discarded ceramics,” said Riesner.

Growing up in the woods of Vermont, mushrooms and moss are familiar to Riesner, but foraging is a newer hobby. That includes for both fungi and upcycled pottery.

“It could be literal roadside finds. It’s pretty much any piece of ceramic that I can adhere clay to and redecorate,” she explained.

Though Riesner went to art school, Hazelbuds Clay Co. is a new business venture. Opened in November 2022, it all started with a fun little project to make herself something nice.

“I decided to make a planter that was a mossy rotting log,” recounted Riesner. “I was sculpting some mini mushrooms for it. I posted a picture of the little mini mushrooms. Immediately, I had like six people messaging me, ‘Are you going to be making earrings out of those?’”

By December, she had officially set up shop and sold 107 pairs of her Chicken of the Wood mushroom earrings in a month.

“I’m not the only one that loves mushrooms and fungi and things inspired by this beautiful world that we’re in,” she said, reflecting on the busy start. She uses clay often bought from wholesalers, or preferably purchased secondhand. With a background in sculpting, Rienser makes every pendant, pair of earrings, planter and more by hand in small batches in her Bristol home.

“Everything is one of a kind, you can see my fingerprints in pretty much everything,” she explained while sculpting a mushroom stem. “I pride myself in the hyper-realism of it. I love whimsical mushrooms but there’s something about being able to accurately sculpt something in miniature.”

All of the earrings can be made as clip-ons or adjusted for people with stretched ear lobes. Riesner takes custom commissions online, but because of the labor intensity and size of the batches, Hazelbuds Clay Co. products can only be purchased in person.

“I’ve got a lot of ideas, but I got two little hands,” she said.

So if you’d like something from Hazelbuds, you’ll have to forage around Vermont’s markets and festivals. You can find her market schedule on her Instagram.

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