Embracing an interest for art and craft, Krystal Manish, a 11-year-old girl in Cairns has taken her passion to the next level. She sews colourful scrunchies and sells them. After doing it as a hobby in her spare time, Krystal is now aiming to take it as a side-business that can bring her some pocket money.
“It all started when my parents gifted me with a small sewing machine on my eleventh birthday. It now stands close to my heart,” says Krystal Manish.
After observing her drive that her parents decided to put before her the idea of doing it as a start-up and she named it TurtleLooms. Naming it after her favorite animal, Krystal herself designed the logo before kickstarting TurtleLooms officially on Instagram and Facebook.
Mostly sewed on 100% cotton, satin scrunchies in different patterns and colours, removable bow scrunchies, plain coloured ones etc are also in her cart. She chooses designs that suit both adults and kids alike. Some of them include dog paw designs, rainbow pencils etc. Krystal is also open to taking custom requests of any colour or pattern from her customers.
When asked about her interest in choosing scrunchies, Krystal said, “when I got the machine, I first tried to explore it as I didn’t know how to make it work. I started watching YouTube videos and found out how a sewing machine works. Then I thought of sewing something on it. Scrunchies are something that has fascinated me. So, I watched some videos on how to make them and gave it a try. I even sewed pyjamas for myself. That way I got accustomed to this skill. When everything came out well, I attained the confidence to stitch more.”
The Year 6 student at a primary school in Cairns, voluntarily stepped up for a project for Cancer Month in September. Krystal chose to sew and sell scrunchies in yellow which is the theme colour for Cancer Month. It was with great motivation, she sewed 50 scrunchies on her mini sewing machine and sold them at school to teachers and friends only to donate the fund to Camp Quality Australia, an organization that looks after cancer affected children.
Krystal now spends her spare time sewing scrunchies, taking photos and uploading them on social media. She charges $3 for a scrunchie and is looking forward to sewing more interesting items like tote bags and keep herself busy. “It is very satisfying to see others wearing the scrunchie I sewed. Those who wish to have scrunchies with unique designs please buy and support me so that I can keep myself engaged and develop the skill I learned,” adds Krystal Manish.
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11-year-old Krystal Manish from Cairns, Australia, turned her passion for sewing scrunchies into a side business called #TurtleLooms, selling colourful scrunchies on social media. 👧🧵 #TheIndianSunhttps://t.co/Z7SI5lEyao
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