Hi I’m Michelle, the creator behind Made by Michelle. I live in Brisbane with my husband and three beautiful children; Taya (10), Lyla (7), and Toby (3). I’m a stay-at-home mum, which I absolutely love and enjoy so much.
My crafty journey evolved after I became a mum. My girls were right into arts and crafts and were always looking for things to make. We loved finding things on our nature adventures and turning them into decorative pieces. We had a pile of shells and thought ‘what could we make out of this’ and made a pretty wall hanging out of them. Along the way I discovered macrame. I thought it was so beautiful and decided to teach myself a few knots and made a simple wall hanging.
After Toby was born I found myself with more time to explore macrame. While the girls were at school it was only Toby and me at home and while he was sleeping I created. I bought myself a macrame pattern, and from there I was hooked. It was instantly addictive and I loved that it was something I could also use to switch off and have a bit of me time.
My business started when I came across macrame rainbows. I made one each for the kids’ bedrooms and I loved them so much I started to make them as gifts for friends and family. I was always looking for ideas on how I could work from home so I didn’t have to rush back to work and I got to a point where if I wanted to keep creating, I had to start selling, so I started my Madeit store in 2020.
I chose Madeit because I think it’s important to support Australian made and wanted to keep my products local. The simple layout of Madeit was appealing as I’m not at all tech-savvy so I needed something that was easy to manage.
There is something so special and unique about handmade items. As a customer, I love being able to find different products that you can’t find in shops and customise items to suit exactly what I’m looking for. Handmade items are often longer lasting and special as keepsake gifts reducing the impact on the environment by not purchasing as many throw-away items.
Sustainability is important to me and wherever possible I keep waste to a minimum. I buy some recycled fibres and I ensure I use my scraps for another purpose. Some can be used in my creations or I can use them as tassels or decorations when wrapping gifts or orders. Nothing goes to waste.
I always have colour combinations and ideas running through my head. As soon as something pops into my head I either jot it down or pull out the fibres to pair up the colours and see if they work. From there I just need to wait for the right time to get started, sometimes I find time when the kids are happily playing or I wait until they go to bed. I never make anything in one go, I’m always coming back and forth, working around the kids.
It's easy to be inspired in the macrame world as there are so many talented makers out there showcasing their beautiful work and sharing tutorials. My business started with macrame rainbows however, with so many ideas out there I naturally evolved, learning new things along the way and eventually built up enough confidence to try my own designs.
Inspiration also comes from my girls. They are constantly making, just like me. They have their own little business selling macrame and earrings. We get ideas from each other and are always talking about the next piece we can create. My girls are my biggest cheerleaders, always so impressed with my work and lifting me up when I’m unsure if my creations will work out.
