A long time ago, in a country seemingly far, far away, I was biding my time in Edmonton, Alberta. I was patiently waiting to finish my M.A, for my wedding date, and for my spousal visa to emigrate to the US so that I could actually live with my husband. I worked full time, but once my degree was done, wasn’t quite sure what to do with myself in the evenings and weekends. So I started crafting.
I made cocktail picks, wine glass charms, mulled cider kits, and therapeutic hot/cold packs. Nothing too original, but the products I made were praised by local craft vendors as being high quality – especially the therapeutic packs. For the amount of time and effort I put into it, I made a decent amount of money. But when I finally received my visa, I dropped everything and moved to California.
In my recent career slump I realized that I hadn’t been doing any crafting for a very long time, and that I really missed having a creative outlet. To me, crafting is calming and therapeutic. No matter what is happening in my professional life, I am the only one who controls my crafting life.
The popularity of grain-filled therapeutic packs has gained momentum and you can find them all over the internet – for a wide range of price points. I was surprised to see that really none of them have removable covers – which mine do. What happens when you spill something on it? What happens if your child is snuggled up to a heated bag because they have severe chills – and vomits on it? They can’t be cleaned. You have to throw them out because most of the filler materials used will mold. Also, if anyone has used the same bag for years you will know that over time they do start to smell. I have only found one or two other crafters who are selling such bags with removable, washable covers. And these products look very professional, but the covers are flannel. Very cozy, but not something that will repel liquids, and they are not very attractive. The bags I make have removable covers that are made from thick, luxurious fabrics. They can be washed, and are attractive enough to leave out in the living room as an accent pillow. As an added benefit, the thickness of the cover provides a decent barrier to liquids. If something gets on it, there is ample time to wipe the excess off and remove the cover before the liquid gets to the inner bag. Because of these details, I believe my product will stand out from the rest, sufficient to create a decent demand. You can see an example of one of my therapeutic packs on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/treasuresbysandra/
I have formulated quite a ‘to-do’ list to get everything up and running. As you can see from the pictures in the link – learning to take better pictures is high on the list! More to come soon!
