Little Red Farmhouse

Today we’re talking to Madelyn, 14, from Little Red Farmhouse. Her products are so fun, creative, and… tiny! Check out what she had to say to us!

CEM: Tell us about your business and how you first got the idea.

Madelyn: I’ve been making miniatures for 5 years. When I was little I would always make it out of small popsicle stick pieces because I had started out with the model horses I was getting- I would make barns for them. But then I stopped. Then probably around 5 years ago I started making again. I love tiny things, I like going to museums and seeing the dioramas. So, I sell dollhouse miniatures and they’re all handmade. I searched a YouTube video, when I was maybe 9, and then I found the whole world of the community online about it.

CEM: What supplies and resources did you need to get going?

Madelyn: Well, displaying it is a different thing, because they’re so small. It’s interesting to see about how to attract people. So I was like “Well I can just bring one of my rooms.” So I started out with a different bedroom than that, and I’d set it out in the front and people would come and look at it and they could see that it’s miniature and a diorama. 

Art is being able to use what you have. So I started with just things around the house but.. Hobby Lobby is my favorite store. But I use all and every materials.

CEM: What are some of the challenges you’ve faced with your business and how did you overcome them?

Madelyn: The hard thing is being able to get the right kind of customers because a lot of people will look at it and see that it’s cute but they don’t have a need for it. So it’s finding the need that they have, being able to point out to them that maybe it could be good as a gift, or sometimes offering it in jewelry form, or other things like that. People see that it’s cute and it gets lots of attention, it’s just people need to find a need for it.

CEM: Do you have any advice for other kid entrepreneurs?

Madelyn: I would say just remember that the more people you talk to, the more people are going to buy because one in every 10 to 15 people are going to buy something. Also, make sure that you know your motivation- are you doing it because you want to get the money or are you doing it to get the experience and talk to people?

CEM: What’s your favorite thing about your business?

Madelyn: My favorite thing is the feeling that you can create something, that you can see something that you love and then to be able to make it something that you can see smaller and every single day.

CEM: What’s your favorite piece that you’ve made?

Madelyn: It’s probably the barn right now. It’s not quite finished yet. I did the math with another customer earlier, a couple markets ago, and we decided I spent about 4 hours every week and I’ve been working on it for about 2 years. 

CEM: How can customers get in touch with you?

Madelyn: Through email and my phone number, I have business cards over there. My email is the best way and I’m working on setting up a website.

What a unique and creative business, Madelyn! Keep up the hard work!