Staff writer
Eleven-year-old Hannah Utecht of Hillsboro is putting an unusual spin on the classic summer lemonade stand.
Instead of selling lemonade or frozen treats, she is selling handmade holders, specifically designed for freezer pops, for $1 each. In her first two days, she sold 19 of them.
Hannah got the idea because her 4-year-old sister, Claire, did not like how cold her hands got while holding freezer pops.
“I picked up some fabric I thought she would like,” Hannah said. “I made one and I had a lot of fabric left.”
She had enough left that she decided to sell holders on social media. So far Hannah has advertised on Facebook but wants to move on to Etsy. She even has come up with a name: Simply Crafted.
“She’s my little entrepreneur,” her mother, Jill, said.
Hannah, who has been sewing since second grade, learned her skills from her mother, who showed her how to use a sewing machine.
“She’s been sewing ever since,” Jill said. “She always wants to be making things.”
Asked what advice she would give others wanting to start their own business, Hannah offered three tips: Ask your parents first; hide the scissors from your little sisters; and research the project online.
“If you’re looking on Pinterest if you have an idea, read through all directions first before you start,” Hannah said, “so you’ll know what you’ll have to end up doing later in the project.”
Those interested in purchasing freezer pop holders can contact Jill on Facebook to put an order in. Hannah and Jill will then deliver once they are made.
Jill is proud of what Hannah has accomplished. “She very much thinks like an entrepreneur,” Jill said. “She’s very good about thinking about how can we sell these, what’s the best way to sell these and make a profit. She has a mind like that, so it’s fun watching that blossom and develop.”