Peru’s Chaos and Curiosities sells items with fun, creepy vibe

Jun 09, 2024

Karli Sarver’s and Haley Burch’s homes are decorated much like their new Peru store, Chaos and Curiosities – with fun, creepy home décor.

“We love it, and we just decided to start sharing it, and it blew up,” Sarver said. “Everybody loved our stuff. We started getting requests for custom designs – darker, spookier stuff – and we just kept going with it.”

The longtime friends, both of Dalzell, started with a booth at the Dalzell Farmers Market about a year ago and then began carrying their collections in stores in Morris, Utica, Streator and Peoria.

“We thought, ‘Why don’t we open our store and just be spooky?’ because no one has that. No one has the oddities, nobody has the weird, eccentric art like we do.”

They recently opened a store in downtown Peru at 1822 Fourth St. with their creations as well as almost 20 vendors’ items.

“We thought, ‘Why don’t we open our store and just be spooky?’ because no one has that,” Sarver said. “No one has the oddities, nobody has the weird, eccentric art like we do.”

They carry multimedia art; creepy dolls and plushies; work by ink and resin artists; jewelers, including metal works, wire wrap, polymer, clay and crystal; and refurbished furniture, among other items.

Since the beginning, they’ve offered Adopt-a-Ghost, which are tiny, handmade ghosts in little decorated jars. They also carry little bats, each unique; skeletons in bathtubs and toilets; shadow boxes; and Forever Pets, which are mummified specimens in decorative boxes.

Also popular are trolls with altered appearances and Care Bears, which have scary faces and are appropriately called Scare Bears. They also offer mystery coffins, which are little coffins with surprise items inside.

When they attended markets, a few people stopped by their booth to let them know “they didn’t belong,” so it was important for Burch and Sarver to create a welcoming environment in their store where there is no shame about their art.

“They do have really creative, beautiful pieces,” Sarver said of their vendors. “[I love] the fact that it’s appreciated here and we showcase it. [We’re] just giving them a safe, authentic space.”

“Our artists, our customers, so far everyone who has come through our doors has said it’s like home. You come in and you’re welcome. You’re treated with kindness and respect,” Burch said.

Most of their artists are from the Illinois Valley, and the duo is accepting more. Artists are asked to meet with the owners and visit the store.

Of course, Burch and Sarver have plans for Halloween. They’re considering advent calendars, mini photo sessions and some darker, horror-themed items.

They also have a back room that they plan to offer to their vendors to host classes, such as jewelry-making and painting, as well as tarot card readings.

Hours are tentatively from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, with a grand opening planned for late September. For up-to-date hours and more information, find Chaos and Curiosities on Facebook.

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Forever Pets, which are mummified specimens displayed in decorative boxes, are popular items at Chaos and Curiosities in Peru. (Stephanie Jaquins for Shaw Media)

Mystery Coffins are one of the first items Chaos and Curiosities owners Karli Sarver and Haley Burch made when they first started selling at markets about a year ago. (Stephanie Jaquins for Shaw Media)