Heather Cope, a 35-year-old special education teacher in Ohio, created earrings to mark the Cincinnati Bengals’ Super Bowl run as part of her crafting side hustle
Heather Cope
I love crafting. It’s a way for me to relax when I return home from my job as a special education teacher.
I started by watching YouTube videos to learn how to make wreaths. Now I also make jewelry and other crafts.
I usually make anywhere from $1 to $200 a month. During the Bengals’ Super Bowl ride, I made more than $1,000.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Heather Cope, a 35-year-old special education teacher in the Northwest Local School District in Cincinnati, Ohio who has a craft business on the side. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I love crafting. It’s a way for me to relax when I return home from my job as a special education teacher for kindergarten through fifth grade at Pleasant Run Elementary in Cincinnati. I adore my school kids, but sometimes I need to leave that stress in the classroom.
I leveled up my crafting game after I purchased my Cricut, an electronic cutting machine that looks like a printer and can be used to cut different shapes and designs on materials like paper, vinyl, leather and fabric. After buying it, I explored making new items. My first creation was a set of leather earrings.
Meanwhile, I had also been experimenting with other handmade items. I watched YouTube videos and learned how to make wreaths and shadow boxes.
But I never thought my passion would turn into a side business.
My business path
It started small. I sold my designs to friends and family. Somebody would see a wreath I made and say, “Hey, can you make one for my front door?”
My business, Teacher Mom Craft Shop, blossomed from there. I set up a website and people started buying my creations. I participated in an online sale on Facebook, and had fun, because, for the first time, strangers wanted my pieces. I also sold some of my stuff at a crafts fair.
I was anxious at first about putting myself out there. But it was fun; I found out people like buying from a local mom.
The Facebook sale connected me with Jessica Castellini. She saw my work and asked me to start selling my products in her brick-and-mortar shop, JC Boutique, on Cincinnati’s Westside. I couldn’t turn down the offer, and I started selling at the boutique in December 2020.
Now, I display new items at the shop about once a month or every other month, alongside ten other artisans.
Growing through collaboration
I’ve developed a great relationship with Mrs. Castellini, and together we collaborate on custom earring designs. Some feature a child’s jersey number or a loved one’s face. She gives me the image, and then I assemble it.
My earrings usually range from $8 to $20. My other crafts can be anywhere from $25 to $75, depending on how elaborate the items are.
We also started making earrings to mark the Bengals’ trip to the Super Bowl last winter and we couldn’t keep them on the shelves. The waiting list for the earrings was so long, I would have to make a special trip after school to the store with a new batch. When I arrived, I’d find women impatiently waiting to buy the earrings.
The money I earn depends on the season. I usually make anywhere from $1 to $200 a month. During the Bengals’ Super Bowl ride, I made more than $1,000. Typically, the holidays are best for earning.
Mrs. Castellini and I split the profit from the items we make together. On the other crafts, I get the profits. I pay a monthly fee to keep my space in the store.
All in the family
The business can be a family affair, too. At home, it’s an assembly line. My husband and I sometimes work until the wee hours of the morning to make enough earrings, and he chimes in if he has ideas for new products.
My children also enjoy helping. My 7-year-old son, Chase, likes to press the Cricut button or put whatever I’m working on into the machine. Even my 2-year-old daughter likes to come into the office/craft room at home.
Ultimately, the business benefits everyone. It offers a little extra money to set aside for fun family activities. Chase, for example, had been wanting to go to a monster truck show in Atlanta, so we hopped into my van and drove eight hours to see the giant cars.
Right now, I’m working on a new line for young girls, which I’m naming in honor of my baby, Bonnie’s Closet. The collection will feature small earrings, like butterflies or stars, which I hope to debut in time for Christmas.