2026 People's Choice·Home Decor · Handmade · New Business

86 Christmas Trees
and a Dream

Place Makers started the way the best things do — with a heart full of love and a truck full of Christmas trees.

It Started with the Kids

Before Place Makers had a name or a storefront, there was just Jodie — a woman who couldn't stand the thought of kids not having a Christmas tree to look at.

She volunteered at a Title I school and decorated 86 Christmas trees. All by herself. All donated. Every classroom, every hallway, every corner where a child might walk past and feel a little bit of the magic.

That led to decorating for friends. Then friends of friends. Then clients. Then weddings, parties, and events across the Crystal Coast. People kept asking: "Where do you get those bows? Can you make me one?"

The answer was always yes.

Jodie Moore at Place Makers in Suite 26, Emerald Isle, NC

Jodie at the shop in Suite 26.

The Name Came from PBS

For years, Jodie couldn't figure out what to call the business. Every name she wrote down felt too small, too boxed-in, or too much about bows when the work was bigger than bows.

Then one afternoon she was vacuuming the living room with PBS on in the background — a special about the great English gardens, Kensington and Giverny, the people who designed those landscapes. The host said something that made her turn the vacuum off and just stand there.

The people who shaped those gardens weren't called architects or designers. They were called placemakers. They came in. They made the place.

That's when it clicked. It wasn't about the bows, or the Christmas trees, or the wreaths, or the ribbon — it was about walking into a space and helping someone see what it could be. Not by throwing out what they had. By using what they loved and adding the finishing touches that pulled it all together.

“I help you use what you have first.”

— Jodie

The Leap

After a career in marine and yacht insurance sales, Jodie found herself at a crossroads. The company she'd given years to was sold. She went home, took a breath, and asked herself what she really wanted to do.

The 2024 Christmas season answered that question. She decorated more homes and events than ever before, and the response was overwhelming. People didn't just like what she did — they loved it. They raved about it. They sent their friends.

In January 2025, Jodie signed a lease on Suite 26 in Emerald Plantation. Her husband built the shelves. She filled them with luxury ribbon — rolls and rolls of it, every color and texture you can imagine. And in March 2025, Place Makers opened its doors.

The Bow Bar was born.

The Bow Bar at Place Makers — handmade bow detail

The Bow Bar — every wreath and topiary tied by hand.

What Drives Every Bow, Every Room, Every Ribbon

Made with Love

Every bow is tied by hand. Every room is decorated with intention. This isn't mass production — it's personal, every single time.

One of a Kind

No two bows are alike. No two spaces are decorated the same way. Jodie doesn't follow templates — she follows her instinct.

Crystal Coast Roots

This is a local business built for locals, visitors, and everyone in between. Emerald Isle is home, and Place Makers is part of the fabric.

The Journey So Far

2024

Record-breaking Christmas decorating season — homes, businesses, and events across the Crystal Coast

Jan 2025

Signed the lease on Suite 26 at Emerald Plantation. Husband built the shelves. The ribbon went in

Mar 2025

Place Makers opens its doors. The Bow Bar is born. Customers start saying the same thing every time they walk in

Apr 2026

Named Carteret County's favorite in three categories at the 2026 Carteret Curated People's Choice Awards — Winner of Home Decor (ahead of longtime local favorites), Winner of Handmade Product, and Runner-up for Best New Business of the Year

May 2026

First place at the Emerald Isle Garden Club's Bicycle Decoration Contest — another community win in a banner year

Today

Award-winning, still one woman in Suite 26 — tying bows at the Bow Bar, decorating homes and rentals across the Crystal Coast, and saying thank you to every customer who voted

Inside Place Makers at Suite 26 — the boutique built one bow at a time

Come See It for Yourself

We're in Emerald Plantation, Suite 26. People say the same thing every time they walk in: "I didn't know this was back here!" We'd love to show you.

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