Unique hobby turns into unique business

PHOTO: Michelle Barrera and her grandmother spend their weekends making handmade blankets.

By Alex Miyamoto,

BlueDevilHUB.com Staff–

When time permits, Michelle Barrera finds herself hand-making personalized blankets, spending roughly 17 hours a week on the craft.

Barrera is a small business owner and also a junior at Davis High.

She started her business within the last couple of months but has had a passion for crafting since she was young. Her driving inspiration is her grandmother.

“My grandmother is the main reason why this business is here.”

Barrera was introduced to creating by her grandmother at a young age. Today, the two spend their weekends making personalized blankets and cards.

“People started to ask me to make them blankets, and I just decided to make them for sale,” Barrera said.

The blankets are fully personalized, with the customer choosing the specific design for the cloth. Plaid is a frequent cloth that Barrera uses. 

“I never use solitary colors, I think they’re boring,” Barrera said. 

The technique she uses to make the blankets is called tie fleecing. Using two sheets of cloth, Barrera cuts fringe on the ends, tying the two pieces of cloth together in a knot to create a tasseled outer edge.

“We make blankets for babies, dogs, people and we have different sizes,” Barrera said.

Barrera also makes hand-embroidered cards. Each card has a sewn design and are usually sold during the holiday season.

She sells her handmade goods primarily through word of mouth or Instagram. 

To extend her sales outside of the school, Barrera partakes in occasional craft fairs.  “I try to go to (and sell at) as many as I can but school usually gets in the way,” Barrera said.

While Barrera has a passion for making and selling her products, she finds balancing school to be a challenge. “It’s hard to keep up with orders, and responding to people can sometimes be challenging. It’s hard to find a balance,” Barrera said.

To order a unique blanket you can find Barrera on Instagram @ the_mushroom_girlie