Handmade goods take on farmer’s market

ZANESVILLE,Ohio- When most people think of the farmer’s market they picture farmers selling produce and plants, but many farmer’s markets have a lot more to offer.

Today we caught up with Michele Van Wey of Shelly’s Simple Suds and Hair Boutique. Ten years ago Van Wey started selling homemade laundry soap and fabric softener, but has now expanded her business to selling handmade tutu’s, hair bows, and graphic tees. With the help of her mother, Van Wey can make custom items fit for any occasion. She also makes items for any size from preemie all the way to adult.

“So we do custom graphic tees. We make Halloween costumes, birthday sets, flower girl dresses.”

Van Wey has three kids and eventually got tired of spending a lot of money on clothes. She decided to try her hand at making some of their outfits and soon she started getting requests from family and friends for clothes for their kids.

“You know, you look online at boutiques and things are about $100 and you don’t want to pay $100 so then you figure out how to make it yourself. So that’s kind of what happened. And then people were like ‘oh my gosh that’s cute, can you make me one?’ and then it just kind of exploded.”

Van Wey says her favorite outfits to make are those with a vintage style or Disney theme. Van Wey is located here in Zanesville, and also sells on her items on Etsy. You can also find them on Facebook.