“I earn up to $50 an hour sewing bags!”
“I work for a textbook publisher and frequently take on projects that take years to complete, so I started sewing to combat the frustration that I couldn’t really “touch” what I do since we use digital files.
“I taught myself to sew on my Holly Hobbie sewing machine when I was a kid, making cute outfits for my cats and dolls. I then went on to sell crafts online and at fairs on the side. As I got older, I realized I liked making bags because unlike clothes, they don’t have to be made to specific measurements.
“My bag business took off after a friend asked me to make one to donate to a charity auction. I was hoping it would sell for $40, which is what it had cost me to create, but it went for $240! I was thrilled. I continued to make bags for charity but also began selling my work online via my website, Poise.cc.
“Now I can earn as much as $50 per hour making bags: I sell them on my website, at a local boutique, on my Etsy shop (Poise) and at craft shows.
“Bigger, custom bags take more time, but if I’m making a bag that I already have the pattern for, a simple bag can take me as little as 10 minutes. I’ve made hundreds of them: It’s muscle memory at this point.
“I really love sewing bags. I find it calming. I still donate a lot of my work to charity: It mostly benefits my soul to feel like I’m helping people with my hands.”