Hey there! It's been a really long time since I've written, but life has been busy. I'm back, though, for a special occasion: today is the one-year anniversary of my children's jewelry shop, MayaGirl Creations!
I came up with the idea for a children's jewelry line after a friend requested that I design some kids' pieces for an upcoming show. I then purchased a collection of colorful wires and beads, came up with some fun shapes ... and MayaGirl Creations (named for my cat, Maya, who's sitting on my lap right now) was born!
Designing jewellery for kids is a bit different than making pieces for adults. Kids like bright, fun jewelry so color is key; I use a lot of blues, pinks, reds, etc. Safety is also a very big deal. Of course, it's always important as you don't want to make necklaces that strangle the wearer or bracelets that'll poke someone in the wrist, but I'm extra cautious when it comes to making things for little ones. I blunt the edges of the wire so they won't accidentally poke themselves and use hypoallergenic surgical steel earring wires since most kids' ears can tolerate that material. I also recommend that kids under three don't wear my jewelry -- and that younger kids only wear pieces when an adult is supervising.
Another thing I've had to take into account is size. It should go without saying, but children have tiny hands, wrists and ears! Though my earrings are all dangle style, I try not to make them too long. I've also made a lot of my bracelets with an adjustable chain so that kids can grow into their piece. It still surprises me a bit when I realize just HOW small kids' need their jewelry sized. I feel like Godzilla in comparison!
So far, my most popular items have been my wire wrapped earrings. I've sold many at craft fairs -- to both adults and kids, in fact -- and a bunch online. One person even bought nine pairs from me, which was awesome.
My next most popular item has been my wire wrapped infinity birthstone ring. I've sold several of these to moms giving them to their daughters as gifts. I've also sold a few to adults who stumbled onto this site instead of my grown-up store, Naomi's Designs. I don't really care if they order from this site, though; as long as they give me the proper size, it's fine.
I haven't sold too many bracelets so I haven't made too many. Since earrings seem to be what kids like, I've been concentrating on those, though I do like to shake things up and add in different types of pieces. So far, though, it's been an exciting year and I'm happy with my shop's progress. Be sure to check it out, as well as my other shop, Naomi's Designs!
No comments:
Post a Comment