Dear Jacki Stitchery by Jacki Donhou
“Being a stay-at-home mom can make you go nuts.”
This is especially true when you experience a sudden change – from being around adults, having intelligent conversations, and running meetings to being a stay-at-home mom with nothing but the TV and the sound of a two-year-old running around. This is the story of Jacki Donhou’s life.
After giving up her job to become a full-time mom, Jacki felt like she was going insane until she found a hobby that soon turned into a business called Dear Jacki Stitchery.
This is an inspiring story of a ‘mompreneur’. Read on.
Drastic change
For years, Jacki Donhou worked as a Visual Merchandise Manager of well-known clothing stores. But for the sake of her husband’s career, her family needed to uproot from Las Vegas to Seattle, and so they did.
After moving, they found out that if Jacki were to get a job in Seattle, she’d be losing money for commuting and daycare expenses. It made more sense for her to stay home with their then two-year-old daughter than to have a job. It was the right decision for their family.
Unfortunately, Jacki wasn’t prepared for the drastic change. “I was going insane,” said Jacki. Hence, she had to look for a way to stay busy.
The hobby
In search of a creative outlet that she would enjoy, Jacki went on Pinterest to get some ideas. After some scrolling, she decided to go with knitting.
“I thought it would be a fun hobby for me because I could also use it to make things for my daughter. The first thing I wanted to make her was a fuzzy pink scarf I saw on Pinterest.”
Jacki did not waste a moment. On that same day, she went to Walmart and bought a ball of pink yarn to get started. She’s been hooked ever since!
Dear Jacki Stitchery was born
It did not take long until Jacki could make hats, plush animals, and toys. Her skills got more advanced, and she was able to create her own patterns for other people. Not long after, more people were loving her crafts! She received great feedback from lots of followers and happy customers on social media.
Jacki then decided to turn her knitting hobby into a business – Dear Jacki Stitchery was born.
Dear Jacki Stitchery sells handmade amigurumi toys and custom crochet items for all ages. Anyone who would like to check out her creations can head over to her shops on Etsy, Ravelry, and social media channels.
Packola pakaging
Handcrafted items like amigurumi toys deserve unique and great packaging.
When Jacki started sending out orders, she would purchase simple kraft boxes and just custom stamp them with her logo. However, “it was horrible because I would stamp a box, and if it didn’t come out perfectly, I’d want to redo it, and the whole thing became a mess,” shares Jacki.
Jacki knew she had to invest in quality packaging, and that’s when she decided to go with Packola.
“I loved that Packola’s website was simple and that I was able to see my box designs right on the site.”
Jacki also adores Packola’s option to order a test box before having to commit to a large order. She’s been using custom mailer boxes from Packola ever since!
Words from the owner
The profit from Dear Jacki Stitchery isn’t what keeps food on the table, but for Jacki, that doesn’t always have to be the purpose.
“Maybe your business is about pursuing a passion project, having a creative outlet, or feeling fulfilled as a human being. Not everyone's entrepreneurial goals have to be the same, I think people should just do what makes them happy.”
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