Today we’d like to introduce you to Julia Bleck.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Julia. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
After I graduated from Rice University in the spring of 2013, I found myself with a lot more free time to pursue hobbies that I had always loved: baking, sewing, and general DIY projects. I was creating recipes, clothing, and home decor and sharing photos of them to my personal Facebook page, but I found myself wanting to have a place where I could write out the actual instructions and details for people to read. In December of 2013, I created Bunny Baubles as a learning reference for friends and family so that they could try out the recipes and DIY projects that I shared on a weekly basis.
As time went on, I found that I had an online presence outside of my friends and family, and I started expanding my business and advertising with Bunny Baubles Facebook and Instagram pages. I began posting more often, creating more in-depth tutorials, and even expanding my photography skills to improve the page, and it brought me a lot more viewers and interested customers who started sponsoring posts. Though the blog started out as just a hobby, it has turned in to a business where I am able to act as an influencer for food and fabric companies – the dream!
Has it been a smooth road?
Though I am getting paid to create sponsored posts now, it took almost three years before I got my first paid offer. In the beginning, it was fun to receive free product to try out and post about, but I realized that for the time and exposure I was able to offer, I had to start refusing people who would not pay me. It was hard to say no and think that I could possibly end up turning away potential customers, but I had to stand my ground and know my worth. There has also always been the struggle of changing social media algorithms, as well.
Even though I spent countless hours planning out Instagram posts at optimal times with perfect hashtags, there were always new algorithms running and keeping my audience from seeing my posts, and further impairing new people from finding me. There is always something new to learn and keep up with, so I have grown to not focus so much on the numbers and keep myself positive and loving the work that I am creating.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Bunny Baubles story. Tell us more about the business.
Bunny Baubles is a Do-It-Yourself lifestyle blog that specializes in creating recipes, sewing tutorials, home decoration DIY’s, and party planning tips. The posts are all instructional based with supplies lists, teaching my readers how to replicate the project or bake up the recipe at home. Most projects are budget-friendly, and range in skill level from easy to difficult. I work with many foods and crafting companies to feature their products and share creative ways in which they can be used.
The most popular projects on the site are definitely the sewing and costume tutorials, as they are completely unique to Bunny Baubles. In general, I do not use patterns when creating a sewing project, and instead teach readers how to use the measurements of their body to create custom clothing, sharing all of the instructions through photography and hand-drawn tutorials. They are my favorite projects to create, and I love getting positive feedback from readers about the designs!
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
As a child, I spent a lot of time playing make-believe in my backyard with my brothers and my neighbors. One of my favorite memories, in particular, was creating a driving school in my long driveway. We drew chalk streets, complete with dotted lines and turn lanes, and pushed each other in a wagon where we could use the handle to steer.
After multiple “lessons” you could even receive a license. I was a creative rule follower from the start, so it’s no wonder I ended up creating craft tutorials with instructions.
Pricing:
- $150 per blog post, including project creation, photography, writing, and social media shares
- $20 for Instagram or Facebook posts not associated with a blog post
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bunnybaubles.com
- Phone: 224-522-8640
- Email: bunnybaublesblog@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bunnybaubles/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BunnyBaublesBlog/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/bunnybaubles
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
