"I make $80k-a-year selling my crochet plushies - it isn't even my full-time job"

"I make $80k-a-year selling my crochet plushies - it isn't even my full-time job"

A woman who took up crochet during lockdown now makes $80k from her side hustle - selling soft toys on Etsy. br br Genna Tatu, 26, started crocheting in January 2022 after her mum bought her a kit for Christmas.br br She started spending 20 hours a week making plushies - including gingerbread men, sunflowers and rhinos - and realised there was a market for her creations. br br Genna started selling her crochet plushies on Etsy for between $10 to $200 a pop and her digital design templates for $5 each. br br Within two months she made $1000 and she's gone on to make $80k in just one year - while still holding down her full-time job as a financial consultant. br br Now Genna has made over 400 plushies and spends between 15-20 hours doing it each week. br br Genna, from Meridian, Mississippi, US, said: "I fell in love with crocheting and I was hooked - now I'm earning $80k a year.br br "I am an artsy person in general, I was a knitter as a child but it wasn't as fun as crochet.br br "With crochet, there is this world of arugami, where you make stuffed animals, I love stuffed animals so I started making my own.br br "On Etsy alone, I have earned $80k this year. The crochet space is really getting popular and there is a tonne of opportunities for growth.br br "I really want to think about where I want to take my business to, there are so many different revenues.br br "In the long run I want to completely pivot to crochet as the market is there."br br Genna fell in love with crocheting in December 2021 after her mum, Janet Tatu, 75, bought her a cat jumper crochet kit.br br She immediately fell in love with the craft and launched her shop - crochetbygenna - in January 2022.br br Since launching she has made an incredible 400 plushies, creating everything from turtles and bees to chickens.br br Genna said: "I spent the whole of January crocheting and accumulating all my plushies.br br "I thought 'I need to do something with these' and started getting good at it so I thought it was good enough to sell.br br "It has taken off from there, I was so shocked at how niche crochet is but there is a pretty high demand for plushies."br br Genna makes plushies to order and also makes custom requests.br br Over the last year, Genna said she has received some 'unique' requests.br br She said: "That is where I found success - a lot of the crochet accounts only make them upfront and sell what is ready-made.br br "I shop on a made-to-order basis, I show everyone what they could purchase but make it after they have ordered it.br br "I have started doing commission pieces which are special to a customer.br br "There has been some crazy ones - I have made a surgical tool. br br "One time, a girl sent me the fur of her cat who passed and I put the fur inside the plushie.br br "We get some pretty mad requests but I will do whatever people want which is what makes my shop special."br br As well as making plushies, Genna also makes patterns - a series of steps that are repeated several times across a row - which is where she saw her business take off.


User: SWNS

Views: 915

Uploaded: 2023-11-29

Duration: 00:52

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