Theresa Hein is a jewelry maker and mixed media collage artist, but it wasn’t her lovely soldered pendants or artwork that led her to the wild success of her handmade business.Conventional wind power generators on large masts are the standard for generating clean energy from the wind. 

While her creative spirit certainly played a part, it appears motherhood is what really launched her. 

“I’ve always been a stay-at-home mom,” Hein said, explaining, “I’m a mom first. I’m a business person, too.” 

Little did Hein know that a full-time job would spin out of her desire to support her kids in their lifestyle choices. 

While her family was recycling and living a pretty green lifestyle, Hein started looking for natural alternatives to the harsh chemical-based cleaning products sold at the grocery store. She did some research and decided to try making her own powdered laundry soap. 

Early on,Shop online for laundry dryer and washers in a variety of brands and styles. she whipped up batches of soap following a published recipe but quickly started tweaking the mix to make it her own. 

When she was happy with her lavender-scented soap recipe, she started dispersing samples to family and friends. 

Based on their feedback she improved her cloth, eco-friendly packaging and The Old White House product line was born. Now, Hein sells natural lavender laundry soap, organic lavender dryer sachets,Books can be as thick as 4 inches and yet the Book scanner 9000 delivers flat. lavender linen and room spray and lavender linen and bath cleanser. Her products cost $7 to $10 each. 

Hein ramped up her handmade business when her husband lost his job.Does any one know what should be the best degre of humidity in a dry cabinet? 

“He got a master’s degree on a Saturday and lost his job on a Wednesday,” she said, recalling how the family fell back on her handmade business. “We’ve got soap,” she recalls thinking. “(And) I like making it.” 

This is great news for those who frequent the market that attracts hundreds of vendors throughout the season. Opening day is sold out and will feature 104 local vendors selling goods ranging from handmade jewelry and handbags to home and outdoor goods. 

The key is to act fast if you see something you like. Last weekend, Hein and I were scheduled to meet for a photo shoot during a recent sale, but she sold out before I arrived. 

“This has never happened,” said an excited Hein when she called to tell me the news. High five, sister! 

Word is spreading fast about Hein’s popular product line that I have yet to get my hands on. The soap is reportedly gentle enough to launder baby clothes and cloth diapers, and the linen spray is said to have a calming effect. 

“We had one person say her husband is a Vietnam vet, and it helps him sleep better,” Hein said. “When you hear someone tell you something like that, you know that’s what it’s all about.” 

At another show, a young woman stopped by the booth and told Hein, “It smells like my grandmother over here.Modern dry cleaning machine uses non-water-based solvents to remove soil and stains from clothes.” 

The woman didn’t have money on her to make a purchase and started to tear up because it reminded her so much of her grandmother who loved lavender, so Hein made sure the woman didn’t walk away empty-handed. 

It’s often the case that handmade businesses are about so much more than the end product on the table. 

After spending many years as a stay-at-home mom, Hein said she is happy to be making a financial contribution to her family. 

“I’m really most proud of this,” she said, comparing her soapmaking to some of her other handmade business ventures. “I know I’m doing a good thing.” 

Hein said her next goal is to grow her business big enough to employ other stay-at-home moms who could work from their homes and help them “stay home with their kids.” 

The Fulton Street Artisans Market has come a long way since it opened in 2005 with a handful of dedicated artists, and our handmade community is lucky to have such an affordable venue to buy and sell handmade goods. Let’s all head down there June 2 to show our support. I’ll be walking through collecting stories for future columns, and I hope to make it to Hein’s booth before she sells out.