Meet Design Team Member, Esther! Visit Esther over at her personal craft blog, whollyKao. We love Esther for her simple but amazing crafts. She has an eye for taking basic, sometimes boring, items and creating something extraordinary out of them. Click here to see all of her Crafts Unleashed projects, thus far, then continue reading to find out more about Esther!

Some background info:

I’m a native Bostonian living in Dallas. I work at an ad agency during the day and spend my free time crafting, blogging, and making jewelry for my etsy store. I’m addicted to popcorn, yoga, and the crafts store!

When and how did you get into crafting?

I’ve been into into arts and crafts since I was little. I remember learning how to knit and crochet from my grandma, and taking sewing classes at JoAnn Fabrics in the 6^th grade. But I didn’t turn into a serious crafter till a couple years ago, when I got married to my husband Jeff. I started crafting so I could hang out with him on the couch while he watched football.

What is your crafting specialty?

I’d say my specialty is upcycling: turning something old into something new and cool.

What is your favorite thing about crafting?

I love the thrill that I get from turning something old into something new, and the process of getting there. Crafting is always a learning experience for me, and every time I make something, I feel like I add to my library of crafting knowledge.

What inspires you the most to create?

Other people! Reading blogs, pinterest, and just seeing what people have been making on Craftgawker inspire me to try new projects.

What craft product or tool can you not live without?

An X-Acto knife. It’s such a multi-purpose tool: I feel like I end up using it in nearly every project.

What is your biggest crafting challenge?

My biggest challenge is to craft for myself. A lot of times, I feel like I have to create so I can keep my blog updated. I have to remind myself that I should be making things because I want to, and not because I want to show off to others.

What advice would you give to someone that is intimidated by DIY and thinks they have no creative or crafting ability?

To me, being good at crafts comes down to patience. Yes skill is important, but so is patience. Crafting is a learning experience: if you have the patience to figure things out, you will be able to tackle any DIY.

One fun fact about you:

The only pet I’ve ever had was a pet chicken named Pidgie!