Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Christa Wissler. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Christa, thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I’m a very right-brained person who does not enjoy following directions or patterns. I think it was Picasso who said, “learn all the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist” Since I create in a very intuitive way, it really forces me to work twice as hard to sometimes learn how to make things come out exactly how I’d like them

All of my fabric and yarn are either directly donated to me by my local community, thrifted, or found. Not only is this beneficial to the planet, but it also gives me greater freedom for experimentation and it helps me keep my price point reasonable. I love the fact that I never know what people are going to donate or what I might find. It’s exciting, and working within the confines of this really allows for greater creativity.

I’ve always treated my business as a creative experiment. When I started to see all of the waste that was created from my sewing and crochet projects, I began saving everything. These small bits and pieces are used to make jewelry and accessories. My business has always evolved organically as I allow myself to explore whatever creative pursuits inspire me. Recently, this has involved working with recycled plastic bags, paper, and found objects for jewelry. This constant evolution really allows me to follow my heart and feel fulfilled.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Christa, and my business is Wild Child Fibers.. I started making clothes for my daughter when she was a baby, then I made clothes for myself, then after much trial and error I started to sell my clothes at shows and online. Now I make 95% of my own wardrobe.

I make one-of-a-kind textile and crochet apparel, accessories, home goods, and art using only donated fabric and yarn. All of my fabric and yarn are donated directly to me by my local community, thrifted, and sometimes found. Receiving donations from my community started during the pandemic when all of the thrift stores were closed. I reached out on Instagram asking if anyone was interested, and I received so much support. When people donate to me, I offer a trade of something I made in exchange if they’d like. The whole experience has been pretty incredible.

My business is a one-woman operation and I make everything with love and care. Due to the way that I have created my business I am able to offer handmade goods at a fair price.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

When I started on Instagram back in the day it was fun. I never used any apps to help me gain followers, I just did it organically. I was making new things every day and posting several times a week. Each time I posted I would discover new people, get feedback, and really just be inspired. Sometimes I would do giveaways and raffles when I wanted to gain new followers as well.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

My husband and I both work for ourselves, and we’ve done so for many years. When times were tight I had to get creative and think outside of the box., which is why my business is what it is today. An artist needs obstacles so they can grow.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.wildchildfibers.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildchildfibers/