It only took Krista Ray to sell for $ 25,000 in needle canvases after its side, Penny Linn Designs, launched in September 2020.
It seemed to be an impressive number on the surface, but Leray and his father had done the calculation before the launch of the site. Each 4 -inch cotton canvas per 4 inches, which sold $ 50 each, took six hours to paint in four months. After $ 7,000 spent on supplies, its profits are made about $ 2 an hour, she said.
“It made me think that it could never be my work, just because it is so much intensity of labor,” Leray, 33, told CNBC.
Leray, then a lifestyle blogger living in New York, winning up to $ 242,000 a year, earned more money in less time to publish on her brand partnerships on social networks, she says. She continued to paint simply because she loved the pastime. But somewhat unexpectedly, demand continued to grow.
At the end of 2022, the Hustle side became its full -time job. In 2024, Penny Linn’s conceptions brought in $ 4.43 million in canvas, threads and accessories, around $ 369,000 per month, according to documents examined by CNBC.
Don’t miss: How to start a jostling to earn additional money
The production of the company has become more effective as it developed: it reached a profit margin of 36% last year, which allowed Leray to have a salary of $ 80,000, she says.
The rest of these profits go to the expansion of the business, she adds. Penny Linn Designs now has 34 employees in total and, in March, opened a retail store of 5,000 square feet in Norwalk, Connecticut – about 50 miles northeast of the apartment where he started.
The canvases of the store, now made by a variety of designers who line up with the “Coastal Preppy” aesthetics by Penny Linn Design, have bottles of champagne, salt and COD vinegars and Taylor Swift quotes.
Capitalize the interest of the era cochered for craftsmanship
Leray benefited from being a trend early, she said: professions like NeedlePoint have seen a Resurgence during the pandemicWhen many people have looked for new ways to occupy the time spent mainly inside. The interest in these hobbies has remained solid, at least online. While the Joann fabric store recently announced the closure of its remaining stores, the virtual market Etsy reported a record of $ 2.8 billion in annual income.
The needle specifically had a moment, says Leray. She suspects the recent boom resumes an increase in the interest of social media, especially after The needle Christmas ornaments have become viral On Tiktok in 2023, she said.
She captures her customers, most of whom are under 35 years old, she adds, focusing on accessible models, both in terms of difficulty and relevance of pop culture.
In addition to the canvases, Penny Linn’s conceptions sells accessories and needle tools, such as scissors, needles and wicker bags to hold them.
Leray was initially presented to the needle by his grandmother. She resumed this competence in early 2020, when her usual fashion and beauty content was inappropriate for her to publish during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was insensitive to be like” that’s what I wear “, when people die,” she said. “I appreciated the creative process of (the needle) at a time when everything else seemed really frightening.”
She posted on needle articles, like belts and pillows, before she finally begins to paint and sell hers, she said. For about 10 months, Leray says that she painted, wrapped and shipped orders from her apartment in New York while moving television shows like “Schitt’s Creek” in the background.
The design salary of Penny Linn de Leray still does not correspond to what she did at the height of her blog career – but her priorities have changed, she said. She became less interested in sharing her life online anyway after she and her husband moved to Connecticut in December 2020, then had a son.
And even if she does not know if the management of her needle business will never be as lucrative as the blogs, the company and the community around her meet her creative needs.
Brick-And-Mortar by Penny Linn Design The store opened at 10 a.m. on March 1. Customers from all over the country, ranging from 12 to 90 years old, began to align at 5 am, many of which bearing corn blue from the brand of the brand, according to Leray. Some waited for more than two hours to enter, she said.
Experience affirmed his convictions that his business has a basis important enough to continue growing, and that the tip of the needle, at least in a certain title, is there to stay.
“It was a huge shock for me. We have 50,000 subscribers (on Instagram), but it has always felt a little imaginary,” explains Leray. “I was not prepared to see our online community appear like that in real life.”
Do you want to earn additional money on the side? Follow the new online course of CNBC How to start a side jostling To learn advice on starting and successful Hustle Top Side experts. Register today and use the Earlybird promo code for a $ 97 launch discount (+ taxes and costs) until April 1, 2025.
More, Sign up at CNBC Making ITS Newsletter To get advice and tips for successful work, with money and in life.
