Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Himstedt.
Hi Jennifer, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstories.
I spent summers with my grandma, and as our entertainment, she’d have anything imaginable to craft with, like buttons for frames, carpet samples for quilts, felt for creatures, and more. (My mini carpet-sample quilt is still in my craft room, and I’m lucky to be still able to send her updates.) The felt plushies were my favorite because I realized I could make people all the ideas I had! They got loch-ness monster crayon bags to big, minimalist, felt bats from Austin. I learned working with felt is my favorite – it’s so tactile and feels like I’m doodling in 3D – and hand-stitching provides me time to infuse each craft with personality. I kept making those bats for friends as it made me smile, and people slowly encouraged me to start an online store or sell plushies. That idea was pushed off for years; I didn’t even know where to start the business part or what to do beyond keep sewing or making new ideas – so I just kept sewing and attended a few vendor markets for inspiration and that “one-day” hope.
When everything slowed down in 2020, I had more time to craft and space to start doing research. “Scrap Sidekick” comes from using scraps and making plushie sidekicks for anyone – it’s also a revision of an old AIM name – ha! My 2021 goal was to try just one market, and Austin Creative Reuse’s Market Days was a welcoming opportunity. I ended there in June of that same year and had yet to learn what I was doing, but some great friends let me borrow a table and tent. I forgot a tablecloth the night before, so I made one from upcycled paper HEB bags; it looked scrappy and brand-appropriate, but I learned I would never do that again! I decided to try it out. If my tiny business started bombed, I would keep sewing and was onsite to buy fabric scraps from ACR, and if it worked out, we’d see what happens next.
That market was ridiculously motivating as people liked (and bought!) my products, and there were creatives around me getting to do what they love and meet new people. It sounds cheesy, but it was the best of everything I was already doing within a community! From there, it’s been setting goals, trial-and-error, more learning in setting up online accounts, and new markets, solidifying the business side of things, and overall staying creative with new and old crafts. I’ve gone from that first market to an online store, a few markets a month, branded materials (and an actual tablecloth), commissions, and so much more felt. I am still figuring things out along the way and loving it!
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’ve been fortunate with so much support and interest along the way. This felt-based business had been an idea for so long, and the most challenging part for me was jumping in and trying. I had yet to learn that this would continue after my first market. I just loved making things with my hands. A growth mindset is a value of mine, so I’m always learning along the way. Understanding the business side of everything was a learning curve, but it was made incredibly easier with the support of my partner, Clint, and so much Googling.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
With Scrap Sidekick, everything is handstitched and handmade, with scrap items focused on felt. I’m an Austin-based vendor figuring it out and participating in amazing local markets. I love organizing chaos in general and carrying that into a design process. Seeing what scraps I have around gives me ideas as everything (eventually) has a use. After each item is made, I collect the scraps and find a use for them, repeating this process until everything is used. From the bigger items, like the blockheads or bats, the leftover scraps are used to make small snap clips with fruit slices or monster magnets, and the smallest pieces are used as stuffing and so on. I aim to use repurposed or secondhand items in my process, like upcycling mint tins into bug-adorned containers – the smaller tins being “skele-tins”. Since I’m using scraps, each item has its own personality.
Item listing:
- “Austin Bats” – Multi-colored, felt bat plushies in various sizes.
- “Flowery/Fruity Felt Clips” – Snap hair clips adorned with flowers/fruit made from felt
- “Monster Magnets” – Felt creatures with magnets.
- “Bug Tins” – Small containers repurposed with felted bug covers
- “Block Heads” – Fun, animal block plushies – sometimes just random other characters
- “Hanging Banners” – silly sayings on a felt, hanging sign, anything else I can think of with whatever color felt I have
My proudest creations vary each time I make something new (currently, I’m excited about a small, lonely heart plushie that will debut soon). But the proudest craft would be making all the flower arrangements, boutineers, bouquets, and so on for our wedding. It was a ridiculous amount of felt flowers, but it helped me manage all that could be chaotic with a wedding, and I felt bouquets that don’t wilt!
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Quarantine rearranged my balance of organized chaos. It gave me the living space and job change to turn this current hobby into a purpose. I craft daily before to Scrap Sidekick (and quarantine), and for a few years considered attempting a market to see if people may like it as much as I do. Having people appreciate and buy my crafts provided an oddly specific hobby (felt!) to an opportunity to be among great vendors and showcase my creativity!
Pricing:
- Items are priced by the availability of scraps/upcycled materials.
- Pricing is listed at markets, online Etsy stores, or commission specific.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ScrapSidekick
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scrapsidekick/
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/scrapsidekick/
Image Credits
Me (product photos) and my partner (Clint McCarty).
