My Shooting Star Idea

I’ve held a wish in my heart for a very long time for a creative business idea that would give me the freedom to live anywhere and support my family financially. A shooting star idea came to me a few months ago and it feels so good and so aligned with who I am and how I want to serve. I feel a strange mix of excitement and calm about it.

This idea fell into my lap when I least expected it. 

I had been running my Etsy shop for a few years selling bags and quilty art and while it had brought me some joy, it had not brought me an income. 

I believe it was in February of this year, that I was asking spirit for guidance about what to do next in my life and I felt a bit disappointed that the message seemed to be to end or pause efforts of trying to be successful in my Etsy shop and to focus on homeschooling. It was really hard for me to trust and act on that guidance because our income is very low and even though I was barely bringing in any money selling on Etsy, the thought of not even trying to was scary. But I did. I focused on homeschooling which immediately brought me great satisfaction and felt so good to be dedicating most of my energy to my kids and devouring books about Waldorf homeschooling, seasonal tables, wet-on-wet watercolor painting, beeswax modeling, songs, verses, storytelling, and then TOY MAKING!!!!

I requested some Waldorf toy making books at the library (Creative Play for Your Baby and Creative Play for your Toddler) and when I went to pick them up I immediately sat down on a bench outside and flipped through all the pages and something huge sparked in me! I felt on fire with excitement! I wasn’t sure in that moment if I would want to make toys to sell or if my joy would be in simply making toys for my own kids. But I could feel that it was a defining moment for me there on that bench. I texted my husband and one of my dearest friends saying “I’m crazy about toy making!!!!!”

I have adored Waldorf toys for the longest time but they always felt so inaccessible to me price-wise. It had never occurred to me before to make more than a Waldorf doll, which I made alongside some amazing mama friends when my eldest was 2.

I decided to channel my newfound toy making excitement into completing the doll, which had been abandoned and unfinished for years. (Actually that’s not 100% accurate… I had completed it but my son didn’t like the hair I had made for it nor the clothes. I had removed the wig and hadn’t gotten around to making a new one) So I set out to make a new wig and new clothes.

I then proceeded to make a cuddly doll for my 2 year old. It was pretty challenging following the instructions in the book! (I prefer following video tutorials.)

One day while brushing my hair, I received the SHOOTING STAR IDEA! It all flooded into me and I saw it all with such clarity and I got those tell-tale chill bumps all over my body! I could teach others how to make toys alongside me as I make toys for my kids! In an online membership site!

I was ecstatic. I contacted the authors of the Creative Play books (above) asking for their blessing to make video tutorials of the toy projects from their books in my membership and they responded THE NEXT DAY saying “yes”! What??

Things were feeling so right and aligned and the timing was amazing because my husband had just begun to pursue photography and videography full time and I could ask him to film me and take great pictures! Whaaaaat?? I just can’t express enough how supported and in the flow I was feeling.

I quickly knew the felt fishing set would be a great first project because it looked so fun to make and I knew my boys would adore it and it was a project that wouldn’t require a sewing machine or any crafting experience. Great for beginners, in other words!

I had such a blast making this fishing set and I am so super crazy excited to show you how to too!

I’ve been working my booty off to create this site! I built it all on my own. My husband took all the photos and filmed the tutorial videos. And my boys were the obvious model choices! A family effort. 🙂

Please check out my brand new membership, it’s called Toymaking Magic! Let the toymaking BEGIN!!!!

Thank you for being here and for listening to my story.

Sending love,

Jessica