Sold on scrunchies
Advertisement
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/04/2021 (1652 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
A 12-year-old in Oak Bluff decided to skip the usual route of making money through chores by diving into entrepreneurship with a hair accessory business.
Ava Mirrlees has sold around 200 hair scrunchies since beginning Ava’s Scrunchies in February. Neighbours in Oak Bluff were her first clients; now, strangers in Winnipeg are lining up. The venture’s Instagram page highlights fabric hair ties in different colours and patterns, including rainbow ombré and watermelon prints for summer.
The Grade 6 student said she loves to shop — so, she needs to bring in cash.
“I was looking for a way to make some extra money,” Ava said.
She began searching for crafts she could make and sell. Her mother, Katie Mirrlees, has started a number of businesses — photography is her main focus, but she also produces macramé swings and shelves, among other things.
“I think that’s where she got the idea,” Katie said about her daughter’s ambition to sell goods.
Ava contemplated bath bombs and kits before settling on hair scrunchies. Both her mom and grandma sew, so she had sources for fabric and elastics.
YouTube became Ava’s teacher. The first video she watched was complicated, but by the end of the second, she could piece together a hair tie. Then, she played with measurements until she was pleased with her creations.
The tween said she can finish a scrunchie in less than five minutes. She’ll make them when she’s not in school at Starbuck Hockey Academy or outside with her friends. Normally, it’s an evening and weekend endeavour.
Katie said she’s surprised her daughter has kept it up.
“I thought it’d be something she tries for a couple of weeks,” Katie said.
She posted about Ava’s wares on an Oak Bluff Facebook page to get the ball rolling.
“Just posting in our community in Oak Bluff, she got a huge response,” Katie said. “It’s kept her going.”
When Ava created an Instagram account specifically for Ava’s Scrunchies, she started receiving orders from Winnipeggers.
“If nothing (came) of it, she might’ve given up,” Katie said. “I just think because so many moms and so many girls are ordering, and now she’s just getting random orders from people we don’t even know … it’s just keeping her motivated.”
Katie helps her daughter by taking pictures for the business.
Ava said she’s surprised her endeavour has gone so well.
“It’s more than I expected,” she said of the sales.
She branches out to new patterns and textures based on what she finds in stores; she gets inspiration for photos through social media. Things are running smoothly, Ava said.
“I don’t have any problems with making scrunchies, so I think I’m gonna keep (Ava’s Scrunchies) for a while,” she said.
A scrunchie costs $3, and two cost $5. Folks can order by messaging @avamscrunchies on Instagram.