Widmer operated Creative Touch out of her home in Round Rock until 1992, when she moved the store into a building on East Street in historic downtown Hutto.
Over time, Creative Touch expanded its services, eventually shifting away from interior design entirely to become the boutique and gift store it is today.
“I just always thought, well, when I’m tired of lugging books around and crawling up and down ladders, we would kind of have more gifts and raise that end of it,” Widmer said.
In the nearly 30 years since Creative Touch opened in Hutto, Widmer’s children—her daughter Kim Kubula and her son Matt Widmer—have evolved their roles in helping to run the store.
Matt took ownership of Creative Touch in 2010, but all three remain involved in the store’s operations.
Matt said working together with Janet and Kubula helps ensure Creative Touch carries something that will interest everyone.
“I think what makes our [shop] unique compared to other gift stores is the three of us working together and all being different age groups and male and female and mom and daughters, so we kind of shop for everyone,” Matt said.
Creative Touch offers clothing, accessories, home decor, toys, food items, cookware and candles, and in 2012, the owners expanded operations into an adjacent building and opened Candy Corner, a shop that sells candy, soda and other sweets.
Kubula said they are also considering holding more in-store events, something they experimented with previously but had to put on hold due to the COVID-1 pandemic.
Recently, they held a “Christmas Open House” event Nov. 5 and took part in Shop Small Saturday Nov. 27, two events which Kubula hopes are just the beginning.
“We’re hoping to get more and more into it ... like in the evening maybe a happy hour and ... on Christmas Eve we’ll do a pajama party,” Kubula said.
As a long-standing fixture of downtown Hutto, Creative Corner has plenty of regular customers, and Kubula said she, Matt and Janet take pride in the relationships they've cultivated over the years.
"We are very lucky that our core group of employees has been with us for years, and we pride ourselves on treating our customers like family," Kubula said. "We love being a part of Hutto and the surrounding communities."
Creative Touch
103 East St., Hutto
512-759-1088
www.creativetouch-designandgifts.com
