Wisconsin teen's business may sew up $10,000
BRILLION, Wis. - It's a skill that calls for precision. With a needle and thread, you can make just about anything. Simply ask 16-year-old Kaylee Lamers.
"I looked up videos on how to hand sew, and I just got some felt off of Amazon and started sewing it," said Lamers.
Lamers self-taught journey began at age 11 with toys for her cats. That led her mom to buy a sewing machine for a Christmas gift. After her grandma taught the basics, she was off.
Kaylee Lamers
"And then once I got my sewing machine, I started making pot holders and dog collars," said Lamers.
Lamers' business "Stitches and Sweets" was born. Her creations now include tote bags, pillows and even memory bears that are made of clothing from people who have passed. Lamers' skills have brought some playful jabs from friends.
"They kind of think that I'm like an old lady," said Lamers.
Lamers is laughing all the way to the bank.
"I went from in 2022. I was at $900 profit, and this last year I made over $6,400 profit. So it has jumped a lot in the past year," explained Lamers.
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As Lamers' inventory improves, so do her business skills. She made the smart decision to sell chocolate chop cookies to cover farmer's market fees.
"They're cheap to make, and I sell out pretty quickly. So I use that to maintain my profit margin on my sewn items," said Lamers.
The Brillion teen currently has products in three stores and her weekends are booked at markets throughout the summer. She is doing all of this while juggling high school and sports. Her biggest challenge now is keeping up with demand.
"Just building up inventory is one of my biggest challenges with the amount of time that I have, but I'm able to make it work," said Lamers.
Kaylee Lamers
Maybe most impressive, this is not a skill that has been passed down.
"Absolutely not," laughed her mom, Keary Lamers.
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Lamers' mother said her daughter's success is a credit to her attitude and hard work.
"She's somewhat quiet, she's driven. She's determined, and she'll give her all. If she's after something and if anyone is going to doubt her I think she's going to go after it even some more," said Keary Lamers.
The teen's passionate creations have stitched up her most impressive feat yet; Junior Achievement Young Entrepreuneur Live finalist. She hopes her one of a kind creations help close out the competition.