Halloween, family and creativity inspire Riverdale maker’s small business

What began as a pandemic hobby has grown into a year-round business for Meghan Gonoude.

Photos courtesy Meghan Gonoude

Gonoude began making crystal suncatchers so her mother, Georgeann, who is legally blind, could experience her artwork through reflections of color and light.

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Halloween is more than a once-a-year celebration for Meghan Gonoude. Rather, it’s the inspiration behind a small business that has grown from a pandemic hobby into a year-round venture selling handmade crafts across the northwest Bronx and beyond.

The 36-year-old North Riverdale resident is the creator of Mystical Meghan, a business specializing in jewelry and crystal suncatchers — some hauntingly spooky, but not all. Her creations range from skull and spider cameos to miniature pumpkin bucket earrings filled with resin Halloween candy.

Although she makes jewelry for other holidays and occasions, Halloween remains her specialty, a passion she attributes largely to her late father.

Her father, who died 12 years ago from diabetes-related illness, introduced her to horror movies and television shows at an early age. 

“Now that my dad passed, Halloween kind of helps me feel closer to him,” she said.

Gonoude, who has lived in the same apartment her entire life, grew up in a creative household. Her father enjoyed drawing, while her grandmother frequently bought her arts and crafts kits. At about 8 years old, she received her first jewelry-making kit and began making bracelets for family members.

Years later, when the Covid-19 pandemic forced schools to transition to remote instruction, Gonoude, then a prekindergarten teacher, returned to crafting as a way to occupy her time. She initially began making wire-wrapped crystal jewelry before experimenting with other materials and techniques, eventually expanding into earrings, suncatchers and trinket dishes.

Much of the process involved teaching herself through trial and error. Some techniques, including wire wrapping, proved too physically demanding to continue regularly, although she still accepts occasional custom orders.

The business was nearly called Morbid Meghan, a reference to her interest in Halloween and gothic imagery. However, her mother and godmother encouraged her to choose a name they believed would appeal to more customers.

She eventually settled on Mystical Meghan.

Her inventory changes with the seasons, but Halloween merchandise remains available throughout the year. By June, she is already preparing pieces for the fall season, including Victorian-style cameos featuring witches, zombies and skeletons.

Gonoude also crafts seashell dishes, which she first created for a mermaid festival in Sleepy Hollow.

While her father inspired much of her work, her mother, Georgeann Gonoude, 71, has played an equally important role in developing the business.

Born with aniridia, an eye condition characterized by the partial or complete absence of the iris, Georgeann Gonoude has been legally blind since childhood. Although her vision has deteriorated over the years, she can still distinguish certain colors and changes in light.

Meghan Gonoude recalled feeling disappointed that her mother could not fully appreciate the jewelry she made. Hoping to create something she could experience visually, Meghan Gonoude began experimenting with crystal beads that reflect colored light.

She eventually made her first suncatcher, which her mother hung in a window of their apartment, where it still remains today.

Her mother occasionally describes the different colors she can see when sunlight passes through the crystals, including green, blue and orange. She now plans to hang another suncatcher in her bedroom window to experiment with how the afternoon sunlight changes its colors.

For Meghan Gonoude, creating something her mother could enjoy was particularly meaningful.

“It’s nice that I was finally able to figure out something that mom could enjoy,” Gonoude said.

Her mother also assists with the business, preparing shopping bags, greeting customers and handling payments at local markets. Despite her limited vision, she uses assistive technology to help count money after events.

“I happen to like the math part of it,” Georgeann Gonoude said with a chuckle.

Meghan Gonoude initially sold her creations through Facebook groups and online markets. But her mother and late friend, Jen Jimenez, another Riverdale resident, encouraged her to begin selling in person.

Jimenez accompanied her to her first market along Mosholu Avenue, helping her become comfortable interacting with customers.

As she gained experience, she expanded to markets in Yonkers, Mount Kisco and Sleepy Hollow, where her Halloween-themed merchandise found a particularly receptive audience.

She now spends many weekends in Sleepy Hollow, participating in seasonal events and selling jewelry through local businesses, including a candy store. She has also sold necklaces through Cozy Coven, a crystal shop.

Despite that growth, Gonoude said Riverdale’s Cravings and Crafts Market, held on Sundays in St. Margaret of Cortona-St. Gabriel School’s schoolyard on Riverdale Ave., between West 259th and 260th streets, remains especially meaningful because it allows her to reconnect with neighbors and longtime customers.