Crafting for the Children: Lauren Miller’s Charity-Driven Etsy Store

While most collegietes spent their winter break meeting up (or avoiding) high school friends, vegging on the couch, and eating far too many of Mom’s homemade cookies, junior Lauren Miller spent the time starting her own business. Her etsy shop, laurennlizbeth, is an adorable collection of handmade coasters and up cycled picture frame chalk boards, and she’s just getting started.

For Lauren, crafting has always been a passion, and she’s had people describe her dorm room as “real life pinterest.” “Ever since I was little, I’ve had some sort of project I was working on,” Lauren explains. “Painting, drawing, sewing, jewelry and just about every other kind of crafting, I’ve always loved it all. I like crafting because its such an escape. Whenever I get really stressed or upset about something I usually craft. As cheesy as it sounds it’s my ‘me time.’”

Lauren explains that it’s not hard to get an etsy shop, but setting up that shop is the real challenge. Between store policies and listings, it can get time consuming. Luckily for Lauren, she had experience; a few years ago she worked with her mom set up her own etsy shop, called Polka Dots and Curls. After a few years of helping, Lauren decided she wanted a shop of her own. “One of the hardest things was choosing a name!” she explains. “All the good ones are taken! 

When she’s home, Lauren spends all the time she can crafting. At school, she normally only has time once a week. A chalkboard can take four hours to make, and a set of coasters can take six, simply because the process requires so many steps. In addition to those items, Lauren also makes infinity scarves, headbands, and tote bags regularly.

Most importantly, the proceeds of everything Lauren sells on laurennlizbeth goes toward a good cause.  “Two of my biggest passions are crafting and helping others,” she explains. “I kind of have an obsession with 3rd world medical mission work, especially in orphanages. I wanted to be able to turn my passion for crafting into something that could be used to make a difference so I decided I would try to start selling my projects to raise money for medical mission trips in the future. I figured it was a win/win situation. I get to craft and help people.”

Crafting and community outreach? Doesn’t get much better than that! But Lauren doesn’t stop there. In addition to being a Neuroscience major, Lauren is a member of Chi Omega, volunteers as a Baby Hugger at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, and recently got a job as a scribe at Baptist Hospital Emergency Room. When she has time to watch TV, she loves New Girl and Duck Dynasty, and her favorite restaurant in Memphis is Central BBQ. Her biggest shopping weakness? Hobby Lobby and Michaels, to buy more crafting supplies, of course!

When she grows up, Lauren hopes to become a neonatal NICU nurse, and continue to craft. To order from laurennlizbeth, click here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/laurennlizbeth

• crafting
• etsy