Some crafters seem to have a knack for turning a quick browse down the store aisle into a finished project, and Tara Nehil is one of them. A longtime content creator and the designer behind the Spot of Tea Designs Etsy shop, Tara has spent years showing how everyday materials can become party decor, handmade gifts, and sewing projects. She also works with Fairfield World to showcase our products through live modeling, project samples, and real-world inspiration. We connected with Tara to learn about how she got started, where her ideas come from, and why she believes no one will notice your crafting mistakes.
How did you get started on your creative journey?
From latch hook kits to loom pot holders, cross stitch to friendship bracelets, I have always been a crafty kid! After my aunt bought me a Creative Memories kit for my 8th grade graduation, I was immersed in the world of scrapbooking, which led me to go to school for graphic design and eventually get a product development job for a scrapbooking and sticker company.
After a year at that company, I realized I’m more crafty than a designer and switched to their marketing department, attending trade shows and conferences to help teach and create USING the products vs. designing the products themselves. I have since been hired as a content creator with many companies, like Fairfield World, to showcase their brands and products with live modeling, project samples and real-world inspiration.
Several years back, I used those original graphic designer skills to open my Spot of Tea Designs Etsy shop of digital downloads. I have been loving helping the almost 10k people who have purchased from me to create handmade gifting situations for their friends or family. I love designing tags, bag toppers and gift card holders for gifting needs and still get a little happy feeling any time I make a sale!
Where do you find inspiration for your projects?
I find inspiration everywhere! I am a big “browser” at stores, often going out shopping for a few hours but never actually buying things. I walk the aisles of the craft store, home decorating stores and antique shops seeing what I can convert into a real-life situation with brands I’m developing content for.
How do you stay inspired when you hit a creative block?
I have to touch things! With Fairfield World products being so tactile, I often need to pull it out of the box or bag and manipulate the material to try and see what else it can do, what shapes it can make or how it can attach to a material. Poly-Fil is one of those versatile materials I’ve found dozens of ways I can stuff into things to make new shapes or attach to the outside of an item to make it fluffy! This reel features a lot of those differences.
I also recognize when my brain alone is not enough or in a rut and needs outside influence. My friends are very inspirational, as they will often have a life situation that inspires a new craft or design need, or they will literally brainstorm with me when I’m stuck on a direction for a project. Sketching things out and coming back to review them at a later time always helps me keep the creative train on track!
Do you have any favorite “maker hacks” or tips you’ve learned along the way?
My hack is that no one is going to notice your mistakes! While many of my crafts require precision to literally fit something in a specific space, most are done with the “eyeball method.” Does it look straight enough to the naked eye and I don’t need a ruler? Yep. Are those 3 circles about the same shape? Yep. Would anyone know I was supposed to make that piece blue instead of green but I ran out of blue? Nope. Except in the case of spelling known words, people will rarely catch the “mistakes” you make in crafting, so just go with it and be creative!
What’s the most rewarding part of sharing your work with others?
Likes, comments and people admiring your craft are all nice, but the most rewarding part comes when someone is inspired to make what you made! I’m not talking about someone stealing your content and reusing it as their own, but someone who is actually being inspired to make something you made for their personal use in their home or as a gift. As a creator with an Etsy shop selling gifting printables, I love when I’ve made someone’s life easier by following my exact gift basket I put together that they can remake for a friend. Or if I create a design for a holiday gift and someone grabs my free SVG cut file and makes it for their mom. I love when my crafting inspires others to craft as well and we just grow in the art of handmade gifts together!
What’s your favorite creative tool or supply that you couldn’t live without?
I love my Cricut machine! I cut cardstock cupcake toppers or banners for parties, vinyl for t-shirts and wearable costumes, cardstock templates that I then use for sewing crafts, or stickers for labeling. This machine helps to keep me organized, create party decor or make handmade gifts. It’s such a versatile machine and works alongside so many other crafting elements!
How do you see your creative journey evolving in the next few years?
I started my blog in October 2010 when I wasn’t yet married and we had no kids. All the things I share on those pages followed me where I was at the time of those life moments. From wedding crafting to things I made for my kids’ nurseries, each party theme I designed for their birthdays or gifts for teammates on their travel softball team, I love that my blog and social pages are authentically my voice meeting me where I currently am in this stage of life. I assume the next few years will continue that journey as my kids get older and will want/need fewer creative projects from me and will be more focused on what my husband and I want to explore as far as home aesthetic, celebrations and travel. I know that I’ll never stop crafting!
Spot of Tea Designs
Tara’s story is a good reminder that crafting grows with us. It can start with a childhood kit and turn into a career, a shop, and a blog that follows the seasons of real life. Her advice is just as freeing: get your hands on the materials, borrow ideas from the people and places around you, and don’t let a little imperfection stop you from making something. Thank you, Tara, for sharing your creative process with the Fairfield World community!
Connect with Tara
- Website: Spotofteadesigns.com
- Etsy: Spot of Tea Designs
- Instagram: @spotofteadesigns
- Facebook: Spot of Tea Designs
- X: @Spotofteadesign
- Pinterest: spotofteadesigns
