Leigh Gass, who was raised in Texas, moved to Santa Clara’s Rivermark neighborhood with her family back in February. According to Gass, yard cards, which are ensembles of large decorative signs and messages placed outside homes and establishments, have been very popular in Texas in the last few years. Because of the pandemic, the culture of yard cards has grown even further in popularity.
“I was looking for a yard card here but didn’t find anyone who did it in this area,” said Gass, owner of Party Yardy. “So, I saw a business opportunity. I looked into franchises. There are several. But I decided that their structure was not right for me so I decided to go for it independently.”
Gass looked online for suppliers of yard cards. She found multiple Facebook groups of independent yard carders. In these groups, she found advice about running such a business and information about suppliers. She ordered a few basic items, and in October, Party Yardy was born.
“I didn’t design most of the things I have,” Gass said. “The only thing I designed is the seasonal display, which I call the Friendship Flurry. It’s a snowman and a lot of snowflakes all around it. That gets delivered with a treat of hot chocolate bombs made by CocoBombSJ. I’m offering this Friendship Flurry until the end of January.”
According to Gass, the signs are made of corrugated plastic, which have holes to allow for stakes to slide into them.
“They’re made of the same material that political signs are made of,” Gass said. “They hold up in rain and can be outside without being damaged, although wind can damage them.”
Gass is a former accountant. Moving into this new career, Gass has studied the art of arranging yard cards by viewing photos of yard cards that others post.
“For me, I think the accounting comes into play because I think things need to balance,” Gass said. “I’m always looking for balance in my signs. If I put something on the left side, I need something on the right side to balance it out. I feel that might be different from what a lot of yard carders do.”
Right now, Gass is setting up yard cards in the 10-mile radius outside of the Rivermark neighborhood. Gass begins the work of setting up cards outside of homes early in the morning.
“I’m up by 5:30 a.m. and I’m out the door before 6 a.m.,” she said. “I want people to see this first thing in the morning.”
“My goal is just to spread joy,” Gass continued. “I never intended to create any kind of business empire. I want to keep myself busy, make other people happy and hopefully make a little money in the process. You don’t know what life holds for you and you have to be able to roll with the punches.”
Visit www.partyyardy.com for more details.
