I run an Etsy craft business from my garden shed

Meet Michelle Murray, from New Longton, near Preston, who runs an Etsy craft business from her garden shed.

Transcript

00:00I just can't wait to get in the studio and if I get old, I just can't wait to do it, to make them.

00:20I started in October 2021, I started just making small gifts for my daughter's friends really,

00:29but then I thought, oh I'll try selling these gifts on Etsy and just see how it goes.

00:35So I started, I opened up an Etsy shop, it kind of took off and I was spending a few hours a day doing it,

00:42but I was using the corner of my dining room and it was just like a computer, cricket machine on a small table

00:49and then the kids are still being noisy in the house and it was just hard to concentrate

00:55and we didn't have a spare room in the house, it was just the corner of the dining room

00:58and I just thought I'd love to have my own little craft studio

01:02and then I could just go to there, work in peace and I absolutely love it.

01:12This area used to be like a football area, so that was the main challenge,

01:16just getting my children to agree to losing the football space,

01:22but I never have anything done for me and years and years I thought, right, it's my time to have something for me.

01:28I have always been creative, I think, because when I was younger I used to love decorating,

01:35I did an interior design course, I used to do up furniture, sort of up-cycle furniture and things like that,

01:42so I think I've always enjoyed doing creative things anyway.

01:45Because I'm using the niche of sports gifts, I found when I was searching for these gifts,

01:53because I used to find when I tried to find gifts for my daughter's friends,

01:56I could never find like a trampoline, a personalised trampolining gift or a personalised gymnastic gift,

02:02it was hard to find, so I think because it's just the niche's sport side of it, it's, yeah, it's better.

02:09I'd say once a week I always sort of tidy it and make it organised and I like to know where everything is,

02:22so I do make sure I've got a place for everything, sort of all the stock is in one bit, all my vinyl is in one bit

02:28and I do like it to look nice.

02:31I just feel like I enjoy it more if I'm walking in the craft room and it's all nice and tidy.

02:35When I was getting the garden studio built, I did speak to them just to say,

02:47because it's a field at the back of the garden, it's a nice view, it's the way I can, I'd like to sit

02:52and if I can look up and I just like to look out into the field and they looked into that and they designed that

02:58so that the window is at perfect height so that I could just look out into the field, yeah, that's nice.

03:04It's best on a sunny day and the lambs are in the field.

03:11I'm quite happy with the way it's working at the moment, it's just a nice balance and I think

03:16because it's a hobby, it doesn't feel like work to me.

03:21If it's a dream and you've always wanted your own space, I would say just do it, yeah, definitely.

03:28It's the best thing I've done.

03:29It's the best, it's the best.