Last week, I wrote about a lady who turns rejected tyres into fashion accessories. This week, I connected with a group of women from X Plan Business who share how they started out and turned their hobbies into a small business. I hope it will inspire you to turn your hobby into a small business too.

Sema Tosya, of Sema’s Jewellery Designs

Sema Tosya is an Accessory Designer, who had been working with semiprecious natural stones, creating bespoke jewellery commissions since 2010.

Here’s what she had to say:

Having started wishing to explore my creative side by designing jewellery for myself, I soon found that friends were placing orders for my creations. What started as a hobby soon developed into a business. I found my designs progressing, growing, taking shape, evolving!

Inspiration comes to me from my surroundings, in nature, far and wide, woodland, beaches, flora, fauna, even fabrics luxurious silks, lace, crisp cotton, linens of the world famous Grand Bazaar, Istanbul as well as ancient and modern crafts.

Every piece of jewellery I create is as unique as the individual. You can choose your style from my current collection online by clicking here. All my jewellery are lovingly and patiently designed and handmade for you. If you do not see what you are looking for, please ask me to customise your style.

Ebru Köksal and her mum, of Handmade Hats by Mina

Ebru’s Story

One day at home, while mum and I were looking through our box of yarns, we decided to make a (crochet) hat. Firstly we designed the orange cap style followed by the white hat and finally the blue beret and decorated each one with a lotus flower befitting women, gifting them to our friends, it soon followed that they wanted to buy them and gift them to their friends and Mina was born in 2016.

Handmade Scarf by Zeynep E.

Zeynep E’s story

I started knitting scarves at a time when I found I had time on my hands, while looking for a job in 2013. I found that my job had become looking for a job so needed a hobby. I found the job soon after but continued knitting, when our Handmade with Love collection took shape we decided to add my creations to the website.

GIVEAWAY

These ladies have been so kind as to offer one lucky reader the chance to win one product from each of the collections. As the products are handmade, there may be slight variations to what is seen in the pictures. You can rest assured that all the products are made with love.

£80 worth of fashion accessories

