Meet Michelle Beaton (@weekendcraft), a Cricut crafter from Boston who has a passion for design and all things crafting. Here's the story of how she channeled her crafts as a way to bring her creative ideas to life and start up her own business, Weekend Craft. What started out as a hobby in a spare room culminated into her own dedicated craft studio and DreamBox setup!
1. Can you tell us about your creative journey and how you started your business?
Weekend Craft started because I loved crafting, but because of my corporate job, I only had time to craft on the weekend. I was just out of grad school and was crafting to help offset some of my student loans. I was selling at craft fairs, a booth at a local shop, and on Etsy. I started sharing my projects online and showing others the projects that they could get done on the weekends.
10 years later I have now left my corporate 9 to 5 and I am a full time content creator. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would craft for a living!
2. What is your main craft? What do you love about it?
I am a Cricut crafter. I own 6 Cricut machines and just about every accessory. I love that I can use my background as a graphic designer to bring an idea to life from the computer to my Cricut machine. I started out as a paper crafter making cards and once I started using a die cutting machine, the gateway to crafting just opened up. I went from paper crafting to vinyl stencils, signs, T-shirts, and then cutting thicker materials like wood and veneer.
I have recently gotten into both sublimation and laser cutting. The crafting possibilities honestly seem endless. No day is ever the same.
3. What were some setbacks you faced in your old workspace before you got organized? How did the DreamBox help solve your problems?
I live in a small, two-bedroom house a little less than 1,000 square feet. At first, it was great. I took over the guest room as my office/craft room. My projects would often make their way into the dining area and kitchen. It just wasn’t working anymore. I needed to take back control of my house. In April, I signed a lease for a studio space. I was so excited to move in but this space needed some help. It was just an empty room with no closet space, no furniture, and no storage at all.
The DreamBox has become my primary workspace and storage in the craft studio. The fact that all my Cricut and sublimation supplies now have a home has helped me keep organized. At the end of the day or week, I take 30 minutes and put everything away. This used to be something that I dreaded and would take me hours at home. My workspace is now something I am proud of and not someplace I try to shut the door and hide.
4. What advice do you have for our readers on getting organized as a business owner?
Create systems. It takes 21 days for a habit to form. If you create a system and stick with it for a month, you will have more of a routine to keep your business and space organized. This goes for keeping your craft area organized and running your social media accounts or website.
5. What are your tips and tricks on keeping your DreamBox and supplies continuously organized throughout the year?
Create zones within your DreamBox. I have each section of my DreamBox categorized by paper crafting, Cricut, sublimation, polymer clay, and miscellaneous. My Cricut section is the largest. Creating these zones makes it easier to find supplies but it also makes for a quick clean up at the end of the day.
6. Is there anything else you would like our audience to know about yourself, your DreamBox, or other Create Room furniture/accessories?
As someone who lives in a smaller home, I wish I got my DreamBox earlier. It would’ve solved so many of my storage and organization problems at home. I kept putting it off thinking I needed a dedicated craft room first. Now, I realize how this would’ve been perfect in my guest room. I actually think I would’ve used my guest room more if I had the DreamBox.
Want to see more of Michelle's work? Follow her on Instagram at @weekendcraft and take a look at her incredible crafts and DIY projects on her website.