In a long overdue post, I wanted to share with you a wonderful "green" business started by a 20-something in Michigan.
Modern Vintage Detroit, "is a Detroit based upcycling business that creates modern heirlooms from vintage and discarded items." Kaitlin, who is also an attorney in the Detroit area, started this business after seeing someone selling cakes at a farmer's market on cake plates that she made out of old china plates. She says she always loved to bake and thought making cake plates was an interesting idea. Kaitlin says she really had no idea how one would actually make a cake plate, and didn't really know what sort of materials would be involved.
We had an interview via e-mail and here is the inside scoop about her business, which is here on Etsy, so head over after you read and take a look at her "Sustainable Modern Heirlooms."
Me: Tell me more about how you actually "make" your new designs. Do you do the glasswork yourself and what types of materials do you use?
Kaitlin: I do all of the work for the glassware myself, besides the initial cleaning, which my boyfriend generally does when I bring items home from thrift shops and garage sales. The process starts when I make a visit to the thrift store and look around at the glass pieces available. I've decided to focus mainly on clear glass at this point because I like things that are decorative but still neutral enough to fit into almost anyone's decorating/dinnerware scheme. The toughest part was figuring out what sort of glue to use to attach the pieces. I bought at least 5 different kinds of glue and did even more trial runs before I found a combination that worked well.
Me: What are your goals/hopes/dreams for this business? Any other "upcycled" products you are looking to branch into?
Kaitlin: I would love to continue making upcycled glassware in the future, and I think it would be great to move into designing custom glassware for weddings. Weddings are great because you can make glassware for desserts, candles, and even floral centerpieces.
I've started to branch out into recycling old glass canisters, carafes and bottles with chalkboard paint. They're not as visually appealing as the cake plates, but are more practical and can make use of even more discarded materials. I also really love milk glass and vintage green glass though, and I would love to branch out into making more pieces from those materials at some point.
Kaitlin: Making time is a huge challenge. Every hour I spend on MVD activities is an hour out of my free time, so it's been tough to balance the business with a full-time legal career. I really enjoy cooking as well, and so I've been trying to find a way to merge the crafting and cooking into one venture.
The internet has been a great resource - it's the place I do my research, sell products, and network with other crafters. I never thought I would join Twitter (you can follow her @ModernVintageD), but I started an account for the business and it's been a great tool.
Etsy is a great site, although it's difficult to stand out amongst so many talented artists and crafters to get exposure for your products. I never realized how important photography was going to be on my Etsy site. I've never taken a photography class before, and I work with a standard Canon digital camera, but I've been trying to do my best in putting up quality pictures of my work.
Me: What is your favorite piece?
Kaitlin: This one is one of my favorites because it was the first cake plate that I successfully made with my final glue formula and the first listing on Etsy.
Thanks to Kaitlin for answering all my questions! I wish her lots of success with her inventive business.
Do you, or someone you know, have a business/project like Modern Vintage Detroit? Let me know and I can feature it here on Everyday Domestic Diversions.
Can't wait for Pumpkin Wednesday!
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