14th May 2026
Grow Box Makers Market
In April we held a Spring Makers Market at Grow Box, one of our community spaces, that brought together local talent, makers, small business owners, and gardeners to share their crafts in the sunshine. With live music playing and lemonade in hand, it was a day full of connection and celebration.
The idea to host a market came from our regular facilitators at Grow Box and Custom Made. They were keen to have a go at selling their products and showcasing their ideas, while celebrating the hard work they have put into developing their projects over the past year. Alongside the regular facilitators, we extended the invitation to other local and Newham-based makers to sell their products at the market too.
The result was a market with a diverse range of products and ideas all developed by people who live near Grow Box. Some examples include:
Vanessa tested out her ‘Money Games' activity from her newly published book which challenges young people to improve their financial literacy.
Freda sold seeds and seedlings that she had harvested from the Grow Box Garden
10 year old Aliza who came along with her family to sell her homemade bracelets
Terry promoted his men's mental health support group
Ana sold her botanical products and did a free botanical card making activity
Shaheen sold her homemade clothes and pillowcases
Nayna sang classic songs
AJ promoted her level 1 and 2 BSL courses
Lots of talented independent artists selling prints and cards
We sat down with artist Humaira from Mairy Illustrates to hear about her personal experience taking part in the market:
“My name is Humaira, and I’m a mixed media illustrator. My work is rooted in the joy of observation, with the aim of uplifting and connecting people through my illustrations. I take commissions, create stationery, run art workshops, and over the past year, I’ve begun offering live illustration at markets and events. I first tried live illustration at Grow Box Market in February last year, simply to see if it was something I could do. With the rise of AI, I felt a strong need to grow in an area that celebrates human art in a live environment in a way technology can’t replicate. That experience gave me the confidence to explore this exciting new direction which I’m incredibly grateful for. Since then, I’ve continued to refine my style while taking part in a wide range of markets and events, - I participated in 7 Christmas markets and I’m also getting orders through Instagram and my website! I truly enjoy creating live art - it brings smiles to people’s faces and has become a thoughtful and unique gifting idea. It means a lot to be part of people’s happy moments in this way. I work using brush pen and watercolours, and each individual’s illustration takes at least 10 minutes to complete. I look forward to participating in many more Grow Box events in the future.”
It is important to us to reduce the barriers for sellers to participate, whether it’s their first time selling a product or they are a seasoned market vendor. This opportunity allows them to test out their pricing range and local appetite on their products which may help them in their decision to have their own space locally or on the high street one day. To make the market as accessible as possible, we provided table spaces free of charge. We also coordinated the promotional effort by providing digital flyers and marketing materials for everyone to use and encouraged the vendors to share these with their own networks. It was a true collective effort!
Beyond the sales and the stalls, these events are an opportunity for local people with big ideas to connect with others in a similar position. They help build relationships that can lead to more opportunities for ideas to grow.
See below for a list of our traders and links to their social media:
Langis Essentials - botanical crafts, handmade candles and soaps
Lione and Sheikh - illustrated greetings cards
Mairy Illustrates - illustrated cards and stationery, live event drawing
Talk2Terry - mens wellbeing and support group
Design Draw Do - illustrated goods
Castor & Pollux workshop - 3D printed keyrings and objects
Arte Lilia - hand painted cards and jewellery
Flutter By Beautiful - faith inspired gifts and keepsakes
Money Adventures - financial literacy activities for kids
Nayna Santana - local performer
