Sonya White: Full-Time Student Crafts Handbags for Her ‘Moonbeam Boutique’
Sonya White has always been into handbags but started making her own in 2003 when she stumbled upon Craftster.org. She started selling these bags almost immediately when some of her college friends asked her to make them some when she took a bag she had made for herself to college. Sonya is a full time Elementary Ed. Major at Clarion University in Pennsylvania, and this year she started up her own online shop Sonya’s Moonbeam Boutique at Etsy.com.
Sonya describes her handbags as “just fun and colorful. I try to stick with a color theme throughout my bags through my use of fabric, button accents, ribbon trims; whatever I use on the bag generally fits some sort of theme…My handbags tend to be created with bright, bold and unique fabric prints, colorful buttons and trims. I can try to create anything you can dream up.”
On Sonya’s profile at Etsy.com she explains how she comes up with ideas for her bags, “Every time I create something I so on a whim, ‘Oh! That fabric is so cute!’ And, ‘Ooo…It would look good with those ribbons and buttons!’ and that’s how I get my creations.”
So what is Sonya’s most unique creation? “My most unique creation would have to be the bags I create which feature a large, felt, hand appliquéd and beaded dragon on them. I add fiber fill behind the dragon which gives it a 3D appearance.”
When Sonya began designing handbags she says “I was always reading pattern instructions or tutorials listed on Craftster in order to create a bag,” but “now I can just look at a bag, figure out how it was created, and make it. That’s the joy in knowing how to sew and create things on your own!”
The most annoying part of creating a handbag for Sonya is cutting out the pattern, “It’s the most time consuming for me and I dislike doing it the most. I’m all about the finished product and want to get there as soon as possible,” she says.
“The best advice I could give to someone who wants to create handbags is, check out Craftster.org and have fun!” says Sonya, “You’ll learn everything you need to know there.”
