Photo Courtesy of Milwaukee Mandalas
Christina Destrampe
Mandalas are defined as circular, geometric arrangements of symbols, historically carrying spiritual significance in faiths like Hinduism and Buddhism. Christina Destrampe crafts these uniquely intricate pieces with her business Milwaukee Mandalas, which she recently moved from her home living room into an office at Greendale’s Serendipity Boutique Marketplace. Destrampe crafts mandalas out of cut cardstock paper in both traditionally layered and 3-D styles. Designs of hers over the years have included flowers and trees, birds and insects, Halloween and Christmas theming and even the Milwaukee skyline.
With her new space, Destrampe has been able to better organize her materials, access bigger machines and stay more focused on her work. “It makes it feel more official,” she remarks, proudly. She has a hired contractor now as well, which greatly streamlines the paper-cutting process.
Destrampe works with different graphic designers on projects and sources most of her materials from Michaels. She estimates that she has crafted more than 4,000 mandalas since her business launched in 2021. “Whether I’m making an old or new design, I still really love it,” Destrampe affirms. “Seeing the end result and watching it come to life is really fun, and it reduces my anxiety in so many ways.”
While she rarely finishes in one sitting, Destrampe says that it usually takes her about 20 minutes to make one mandala. “Some take longer,” Destrampe notes. “They all vary depending on how I put it together, because some of them I glue, and those don’t have that 3-D element.”
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Photo Courtesy of Milwaukee Mandalas
Yellow sunflower mandala
Paper Crafting
A Milwaukee native, Destrampe studied American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation in college and has a master’s degree in adult education. Her interest in paper crafting began upon having her first child. “Birthdays were always difficult for me emotionally,” she explains. “My mom has a cutting machine, and I’d go over there every year for my son’s birthday to cut paper to make banners and decorations.”
When Destrampe had her second child, she was gifted by her mother an old cutting machine that enabled her to start paper crafting on her own. Destrampe remembers, “For the Christmas season I made what felt like a million ornaments. I came across a paper-layed mandala design, so I wanted to try it, and from there I got hooked.”
Destrampe subsequently started her Milwaukee Mandalas business. In fact, she still has the first mandala she ever made - a yellow sunflower design.
Milwaukee Mandalas offers workshops at different locations several times a month, which are open to any level of experience. All materials are provided and students may take home their creations. Destrampe attests that she often gets people who do not think that they are good artists, but she assures, “99.9 percent of all the mandalas turn out beautifully.”
Destrampe’s next class is Saturday, September 6 at The Weathered Shed from 2 to 4 p.m. View the full upcoming class schedule here. Milwaukee Mandalas products and DIY kits are available at the Serendipity Boutique Marketplace as well as The She Shed in Hartford and Frankie’s in Thiensville.
