Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Long.
Hi Stephanie, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My husband and I are both teachers in DFW. For the majority of the last decade, I have been highly involved in my district through sponsoring student groups and other activities. In 2019 and 2020 our two sons entered the world 18 months apart and I stepped down from many of my roles outside of the classroom to focus more on adapting to life as a new momma.
By the spring of 2021, I found myself constantly busy but mentally unengaged. As a family, we were not only navigating through the isolation and exhaustion of new parenthood, but that isolation was magnified by the fact that one of our sons was having health issues and we felt the need to refrain from gathering with our friends, family, and church to make sure that he was able to get quick access to the care he needed without risking covid exposures. All of the mental energy that had been previously channeled into creative outlets like event planning and organizing for my community was instead being used to track sleep schedules, diaper changes, and medicine doses.
In the midst of this, I was also trying to find gifts for the little ones in our life without spending money on toys that would find their way to the dumpster within a week. I teach a class that focuses a lot on our impact on the environment, and as a new parent I saw just how tempting it could be to buy into the culture of “more”. A lot of the children in our life had birthdays coming up and I was trying not to take my babies in and out of crowded public places like stores. I wanted to give gifts that were thoughtful, personal, and heartfelt but I couldn’t go shopping and I didn’t have any creative skills to pull from. I felt like my only option was to order impersonal things online and it was discouraging to know that my money was going to plastic toys that would soon find their way to a landfill.
During this time, my brother happened to send a dinosaur ice cube mold to surprise my son. I pushed myself to be creative and found some old crayons to re-shape for a birthday present. When my two-year-old woke up the next morning he was OBSESSED. I could not separate him from them. They didn’t even look very good- they were thin, the colors didn’t coordinate, and they didn’t shine at all. Even so, my son went back and forth between playing with the dinosaurs like action figures to coloring with them for over 30 minutes. I ended up giving him the original set and making a second set for the present.
Over the next several months, I became consumed with making crayon sets for our friends. I would buy new molds for different kids to fit their personalities. I made a LOT of mistakes- I’d buy molds that were too shallow. I’d make the crayon wax too hot or not fill the molds enough. All of my baking pans started to look like melted rainbows.
But, as my kitchen table became covered in peeled crayon papers and my dresser drawers were cleared out to make room for more molds I found that what I lacked in space was gained in mental clarity. Over the course of months, I found myself less frustrated when one of my sons woke up at 4 am for the day. Instead, I’d make breakfast for them and sort crayon colors while they played. I found myself dreaming of what a business would look like but I knew NOTHING about how to operate a business. However, by May 2021 I had officially registered Stephanie Makes Crayons with the state.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The challenge of working as a full-time teacher and running a small business is time-consuming and oftentimes difficult. During the week, we typically get home, eat dinner, bathe the babies, and then I begin shift #2 with crayons. I think the biggest struggle that I encounter is pacing. I have promoted so many community events over the years that I find myself tempted to overcommit and jump into too many things at once. I have to remind myself that the reason I stepped down from school activities was because I didn’t want to burn out from doing something that I love. That same tendency tempts me with my business too. I so deeply enjoy working at community events and networking with vendors and customers that sometimes I don’t realize that I’m exhausted until way after the fact. I have found that for me, the key to loving my work as a teacher is knowing when to draw boundaries and prioritize time with friends and family. It seems counterintuitive, but I’m a better teacher when all of my “buckets” are full and I am finding that the same principle applies to my role as an entrepreneur.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
The thing that I’m most proud of is that around 80% of the crayons I use are recycled from the district where I teach and the community that I live in. I collect old crayons from daycares, churches, and even the after-school program where I worked as a sophomore in college. By doing this, I am able to offer my product at a much cheaper rate than many vendors who specialize in making crayons. I believe that play should be affordable for EVERY child and nothing makes me more proud than having a repeat customer come up and buy something with their $2 of hard-earned allowance. A lot of work goes into sorting, cleaning, and peeling old crayons but I believe the extra effort is worthwhile.
What matters most to you?
What matters most to me is providing a local, community-sourced product at an affordable price for families. I want to offer an alternative to sugary snacks and throwaway toys that are often given out as favors, Trick or Treat handouts, and classroom prizes. I don’t think that any of the aforementioned things are inherently “bad”. However, I do think that it’s important for consumers to know that we have options. I don’t want my hard-earned money to go towards gifts bought out of obligation, or classroom party items that don’t align with my personal values just so that I can check something off of my to-do list. By making crayons that can be personalized and customized, I’m providing a gift that I would have loved to purchase a year ago when I felt that I had so few options. Most importantly, by incorporating the pre-loved crayons from my community I am able to provide these gifts at a price that is affordable for families like mine.
Pricing:
- Thin Name Sets- $1.50/letter
- Thick Name Sets- $2/letter
- Dinosaur set- $11
- Unicorn set-$11
- Large Vehicle Set-$22
Contact Info:
- Email: stephaniemakescrayons@gmail.com
- Website: https://stephanie-makes-crayons.square.site/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephaniemakescrayons/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephaniemakescrayons
