Welcome to That Handmade Hustle,
Hey, friend! I’m Heather, and if you’re anything like me, you’ve daydreamed about turning your crafting passion into a full-blown business—the kind where you’re making sales, feeling creative, and living that boss life.
But let’s get real—it’s not all cute shipping boxes and happy customers.
A few years ago, I was convinced I’d figured it all out. I loved to sew, so naturally, I thought:
‘Why not make scrunchies and build a scrunchie empire?’
Let me tell you, the XXL scrunchie queen was shaking thinking I was coming for her crown—at least in my mind.
Spoiler alert: It didn’t quite go down like that.
Don’t get me wrong—I sold some scrunchies. But here’s the thing: Apparently, I don’t love sewing when I ‘have’ to sew.
The more orders I got, the more I avoided my sewing machine like it had personally wronged me—or like I owed it money.
Can anyone else relate? That weird feeling when your passion starts feeling like a chore?
Still, I pushed through. I stayed up late obsessing over keywords, tweaking my Etsy titles, and optimizing my listings like a madwoman.
I even hit page one for my target tags! And if you know, you know—that’s kind of a big deal.
But between making products, packing them up with all the extra fluff (and trust me, my packaging was *extra*), and trying to figure out email marketing (a circle of hell Dante forgot to mention), I burned out.
And then life threw me another plot twist. Isn’t life great at knowing exactly when to kick you while you’re down?
I lost my apartment—my little Etsy HQ, my sanctuary, my space. I had to move in with my brother’s family. Suddenly, I had no room to sew, no business to run, and a lot of unsolicited opinions from family members who just didn’t get it.
They didn’t see the late nights, the milestones, or the hustle. All they saw was me closing up shop and thought, “Well, that was bound to happen.”
But let me tell you something—they don’t know me like I know me. I’m stubborn as hell (shoutout to Taurus energy), and giving up just isn’t in my DNA. Sure, I’ve hit rock bottom—so many times that my punch card says my next visit gets me my own apartment there.
Let’s be honest, I’ll probably lose the punch card anyway, because every single time I’ve hit rock bottom, I’ve clawed my way back up. And I don’t see that changing anytime soon.
That’s how *That Handmade Hustle* was born.
Before this blog, I spent years trying to crack the code of making money online. I wasted time, money, and a whole lot of sanity.
And honestly? It shouldn’t have been that f’ing hard.
This blog is my way of saying: *Let me save you the headache.* I’m here to share what I’ve learned the hard way—how to sell crafts online without losing your mind or your love for what you do.
Because here’s the truth: You don’t need to spend years stumbling through SEO, marketing, and product photos that look like they were taken in a cave. You just need the right tools, guidance, and maybe a little tough love (which I’m more than happy to dish out).
So, welcome to *That Handmade Hustle!* Whether you’re just starting out or looking to scale your crafting empire, I’m here to cheer you on, spill the tea, and remind you that you’ve got this.
Now, let’s get to work, hussies. Your dreams are waiting, your crafts are calling, and we’ve got money to make!
