This month, we welcome Heidi from Lotsa Knots into our Makers United community. She shares with us her so far short but very powerful journey from lockdown macrame enthusiast to successful business owner. Read on for some serious #bossgirlinspo!
1. Can you tell us more about yourself and your craft?
I’ve always been quite a creative person – I was the artsy one at school, have been involved in theatre for most of my life and then fell into Visual Merchandising for various Homeware and Fashion brands a few years ago. Because of this, Macrame comes quite naturally – it's another hands-on, creative practice for me, but also a way that I am able to switch off my brain from the outside world and just relax. I enjoy seeing something tangible come together in front of my eyes and know that I was able to make that happen with my own hands.
2. How did you get started?
My first venture into Macrame was at my work Christmas party in 2020 where we did various workshops over Zoom – we were taught how to make a Macrame Plant Hanger, but I’d had a few too many cocktails at the beginning of the night so didn’t get on too well. I went back to my knotted mess a few days later and, after another attempt, found that I really enjoyed the whole process and was proud of what I’d created so I just carried on making from there.
3. Where do you find your inspiration?
A big inspiration of mine is colour – I'll start projects after finding new colours or combinations that I love and just see what comes of it. My yarn stockist has a huge variety so I could spend hours scrolling and purchasing (it takes a lot of self-control to not buy everything!)
4. What is the biggest challenge you face as a maker/ business owner?
There’s definitely a lot of saturation in the market, so it takes a lot of effort to stay in people’s minds. There were so many people like me that started new hobbies and businesses during all the lockdowns last year so it keeps me on my toes and working hard to produce new products and content for my customers and Instagram followers.
5. What is your favourite thing about being a creative business owner?
More recently I’ve finally been able to do some local markets which has been a fantastic opportunity to network with other makers, get more visibility for my business and also to meet people from my local communities. I’m naturally quite a sociable and chatty person, so it has brought me a lot of happiness being able to showcase and sell my products in real life, as well as talking to people about the craft.
6. What does a typical day look like for you?
I’m back at the office now, so make an early morning smoothie before taking the tube to Kings Cross. The morning tube is usually when I have my last bit of sleep, but I’ll always have a project in my bag to work on whilst I’m travelling home. At the moment it’s Macrame Christmas decorations whilst I listen to a true-crime podcast – I do get some curious looks from other passengers. I’ll continue to make orders and stock in the evenings so that on the weekends I’m ready to run my market stalls, but also have some time to relax at the pub or one of the amazing restaurants my area has on offer – My current obsession is Hounslow Market Place!
7. Do you have any hobbies that aren’t related to your craft?
I’m a proper plant mum, so I try to find time to keep my balcony garden and houseplants healthy and thriving. I try to cycle when I can, but also enjoy walking around my local green spaces – I’m lucky to live fairly close to Osterley, Syon and Richmond Park which are all beautiful.
8. How do you stay motivated? Any advice for your fellow makers?
I try not to benchmark myself against other makers, so remembering that I am on my own journey is really the key to keeping me on a positive and motivated path. Saying that, I do take inspiration from other people’s successes – I wouldn’t have pushed myself to start selling my products if it weren’t for seeing how happy my friend’s scrunchie business was making her.
Also social media fatigue is real - don’t feel pressure to post content every day, and take breaks whenever you feel you need them!
9. What are your goals for this year?
I’d love to keep up the momentum of having stalls at local markets, but it is also a goal of mine to have some products stocked in local florists and boutiques. I also hope to rebrand early next year so watch this space!
9. How can we find you and your products online?
10. How are you finding being part of Makers United? How is it helping your business?
So far it has been a really positive experience. Taking part in the Makers United Crafts Fair last month was a great opportunity to network with other creative business owners, so I look forward to more events like these in the future.