Meet us where the greeting cards are handcrafted
This is the kind of store where you walk in and realize that you aren’t in just a store.
Accents by Fred is more like an art gallery. Almost everything sold in this unique boutique is made by owners Fred Bryant and Ann Hanson.
They make beautiful handmade greeting cards that have a special touch to them that mass-marketed cares just don’t have. (They also host card-making workshops if you want to learn their craft!)
They also make beautiful custom jewelry. Fred and Ann are the kind of creators who see art in everything. If a customer comes in with a broken family heirloom that can’t be fixed, they might take that old plate or watch and make it into a piece of jewelry that has new meaning.
That being said, at Accents by Fred, most things can be fixed. This is also the place to go if you have a watch or piece of jewelry that needs repair.
Accents by Fred is open Tuesday through Friday from 1pm to 6pm and Saturday from noon to 5pm. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Costs vary depending on the item you are seeking. One-of-kind, handcrafted greeting cards are about $12.
Fred Bryant and Ann Hanson are the husband and wife duo who own Accents by Fred. They are also the artists who make almost everything that is for sale inside this unique boutique that is part store and part art gallery.
Even the beads in the jewelry that is sold here are handmade by Bryant, who long ago taught himself the art of bead making. It’s not the only thing that Bryant has learned (and taught!) over the years. He once taught math at Columbia College and elementary school in Chicago.
Not to be shown up, Hanson still teaches math classes at Columbia College!
Both love to teach workshops and classes in Accents by Fred, which seems to be not just a boutique and art gallery, but also a studio. The two teach origami classes as well as card-making workshops.
Located at 7519 Madison Street, Accents by Fred is a 10-minute walk from the Forest Park Stop on the CTA Blue Line Train.
