Meet The Maker: Jennifer Voelkel of The Craft Patch

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Meet Jennifer

When crafting is your day job, organization is extremely important! Take a tour of this colorful craft studio and get a behind-the-scenes look at the life of a professional craft blogger! We were so excited to help Jennifer create her dream workspace.

Tell us more about The Craft Patch. When did it all start and why?

I started blogging in 2008. I wanted a way to share the projects I was working on. One day a few years later, my brother-in-law said, "Wait... how many people are looking at your site? Did you know you can put ads on there and earn money?" And from there it became more than a personal blog. Today it is my full time job to create photo and video tutorials. It's a dream come true!

What was your workspace like before? Why the WorkBox?

I feel blessed to even have a craft room in the first place. For many years I had a folding table in our master bedroom.

My old setup [pictured below] was pretty, but as I have spent more time filming video over the last year, I knew I needed to create a more open space dedicated to filming and photographing my projects. The Workbox is so incredibly space efficient that I was able to get rid of two desks, two bookcases and a large cube shelf and fit all of my supplies into a much more compact area. The extra floor and wall space has made video production so much easier!

Are you generally an organized person?

I am not organized by nature at all! I am a textbook description of a right-brained person... passionate, spontaneous and most of all, MESSY. I can't even vacuum in straight lines.

Do you keep your box open or closed when not in use? Why?

I keep my box open. All of the colorful supplies on display are inspiring to me.

Tell us a little bit about the delivery and assembly process for your WorkBox.

This is by far the biggest package I've ever gotten in the mail. A giant truck delivered my Workbox crate to my front driveway. I opened the crate and carried all of the pieces in one by one. I was able to assemble almost the entire Workbox by myself, which I'm pretty proud of. There are just a few steps at the end that require two people to lift heavy pieces upright.

Tell us about the behind the scenes. What does a typical day look like for you?

I start a typical day by scheduling out my social media channels, answering emails and checking my schedule for the day. Then I work on creating projects and filming video content. I try to be done by the time my kids come home from school so that I can "mom" without distraction until bedtime. Sometimes I sneak in extra work in the evenings, especially when I have several projects that are due at the same time.

What are some of your other hobbies or interests? What do you do in your down time?

Running a business full time is no joke, so I don't have a ton of down time. BUT I spend every chance I can with my family. We love to adventure outdoors, travel and play kickball in the backyard.

Did you ever picture yourself doing what you are doing now?

15 years ago, my job didn't even exist. I never would have guessed I would be a small business owner working from home doing what I love, but I feel blessed every day to be here.

What would you say is the best part about what you do? The most rewarding thing to me is when people send me pictures of projects they've made from my tutorials. I love knowing that I played a small part in helping someone fulfill that innate desire to create something beautiful.