Put Your Hearts in a Jar
Honor a friend and boost your business
This month, February 2025, I created a product and donated 100% of the profits to charity.
A nice thing to do, but is it a smart business decision?
I am going to analyze all sides of it as I write this post and then we can decide together if it was worth something.
First of all… the back story.
Losing an employee to a heart attack in December was a shock to staff members and customers. Everyone wanted to “do something” to honor and remember Daryl. When January rolled around, I was planning weekly demonstrations of projects and products when the Therm-O-Web newsletter landed in my inbox. It was full of valentine ideas and one caught my eye. The “Jar of Hearts” card was not only cute for Valentine’s Day, but would work for Heart Health Month - February, of course.
Put the pieces together and come up with something!
Found the Therm-O-Web blog and pattern by Belinda Karls-Nace.
I contacted Belinda and received her blessing to adapt her pattern for my project.
Created a “snack mat” (8x14 inches) using the pattern, fabrics, vinyl and cording.
Project also included Heat-n-Bond Lite from Therm-O-Web.Tested pattern and created sample for store.
Worked with staff to create kit to sell.
Backing and binding utilized an extra bolt of tiny hearts on black.
Scraps for hearts.
Small piece of black for lid.
Older bolt of barnwood-looking fabric background.
4x5 inch piece of vinyl.
12 inches of baker’s twine for cord.
1/4 page insert for kit included:
Link to pattern. (important note - customer needed to visit Therm-O-Web blog to print pattern. It was NOT included in kit.
Photos of project
Instructions for the snack mat adaptation of pattern
Front and back of insert printed and included in kit
Packaged in a 6x9 zip-top plastic bag.
Numbers.
Cost was a little less than $3 each. Not counting labor.
Priced the kits at $10 each.
Created 55 kits for initial offering.
More numbers.
Remember I said I was donating 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the kits to charity? That very day I received an email from American Heart Association announcing that all donations that day would be multiplied by 5!
So… in anticipation of selling all of the kits, I made a donation of $550. Thanks to the generosity of another, our donation became $2750 for the AHA.
That felt good.
Time to get to work! Some ways the Jar of Hearts was presented and used for content and community at Calico Gals.
Live demonstration in our weekly show (Shenanigans) on Facebook and YouTube.
Items demonstrated and sold to go with project:
Heat-n-Bond Lite
Karen Kay Buckley scissors
Oliso mini iron
Soft and Stable foam batting
Display in store.
Used as a lesson in IQ Beyond Club to show members how to digitize design and stitch and quilt entirely by machine embroidery. Saving this lesson/project for future classes.
Social media and website.
Results were good!
All 55 kits sold within days. Staff members keep making kits, replacing fabrics when bolts are emptied. I will make another donation at the end of the month or when we feel sales are complete.
But wait! Something else happened!
I pitched the entire concept to the producers of Bridge Street, a local TV show on WSYR. They invited me to participate in an episode on live tv one morning. Wow! That was fun! I spent about 5-1/2 minutes with hosts Erik Columbia and Iris St. Meran discussing the reason for the project, followed by some hands-on crafting. We traced, we cut and we fused hearts on the background fabric.
Of course, the tv station has its own social media presence. We made some additional sales of kits and received some great exposure for Calico Gals. And linked the segment to our social media. Watch it here.
So what is the answer?
Was it worth it to give away all proceeds from the kits?
Without breaking it down to pennies, I am going to say YES! The cost was nominal for doing something good and honoring Daryl’s memory. The bonus pieces were add-on sales, great demonstrations, new class content, and receiving great promotion from other sources.
Looking for ideas to adapt for your store? Subscribe to see what I am trying in my independent shop. My ideas can spark your ideas!
Love to hear your feedback!
Excellent idea, makes so much sense. Thanks!
This is a really great idea and so generous!