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Hey everyone!
It’s been four years since I shared my journey with Voyage Magazine. It’s an online platform that shares stories of creatives, artists, professionals, and local entrepreneurs.
Back in 2020, they interviewed me about my paper flower business, FancyBloom, where I shared my experiences as an artist and the story of FancyBloom. It was such a fun experience talking about how it all started and sharing advice for women wanting to dive into their own creative businesses.
A lot has changed since then! FancyBloom has grown from just paper flowers to include other DIY projects, home decor ideas, and home holiday decorations. All of this new content I share now right here on my blog fancybloom.net and on my YouTube channel.
But even though things have evolved, I still think my story could be really helpful for anyone thinking about starting a paper flower business. So, let’s dive in and revisit how it all began!
“It all started with a photo of a paper flower wall that I stumbled upon on the Internet in 2016. Back then, large paper flowers were just gaining momentum in the United States. I instantly fell in love with them and started making my first flowers.
I remember searching Google and YouTube, trying to find masterclasses or online courses about large paper flowers, but there was very little information available at that time.
Now, I’m glad it was that way because it pushed me to design my own flowers from the very beginning. Today, I get the most joy when I come up with a new flower; this process is just my favorite!”
“So after a few months, when I gained a bit of experience, I opened my Etsy store and started an Instagram account @fancybloom_.
Soon after, I began making giant standing paper peonies as well as other oversized flowers. And that’s how FancyBloom was started.”
“After a few years of successful work, I hit a major milestone in my paper flower business. As orders continued to grow, I realized I could no longer handle them all on my own, so I had to decide on the next steps for growth, development, and optimization.”
If you make paper flowers, there are several ways to build and expand your business:
“At first, I was selling my paper flowers mainly through Instagram and Etsy. But over time, I noticed something interesting: most of my Instagram followers weren’t potential customers. Instead, they were other paper flower artists like me, asking if I could teach them how to make my flowers.
Meanwhile, my Etsy clients were increasingly asking for large event decorations and rentals. The demand for these services was growing fast.
So, I had to make a choice:
I could either start hiring people, rent a warehouse, and dive into big projects by creating lots of flowers and decorations,
or
I could focus on sharing what I’ve learned. This would mean shifting my business toward creating content and teaching others how to make paper flowers, while gradually moving away from the hands-on production side of things.”
“Making the decision wasn’t easy for me. I felt like I was leaving money on the table by turning down big projects. But I realized that for me to be truly happy, I needed to be in a space where I could feel free, calm, and creative.
I absolutely love designing new flowers, creating templates, and making tutorials. It’s what I enjoy the most.
So in 2020, I created my first online course, “Giant Peony” (the course is currently closed but will be reopening soon with updates—stay tuned!). I also launched this website, fancybloom.net, where you can find free resources and my flower templates shop.
I have big plans ahead. I want to share my knowledge, create new tutorials, and build a fantastic paper flower community. And I’d be thrilled if my story inspires someone to start their own craft or paper flower business. It might be challenging at first, but if you truly love what you do, all your hard work will pay off.
Your beautiful business could become one of the most rewarding adventures of your life. Just try it!”
“No, it definitely wasn’t smooth. Starting something from scratch is always challenging.”
“I struggled to find my first customers, was nervous about voicing the price, and, in general, didn’t know how to price my work properly.
I didn’t know many things, and that’s perfectly normal!”
“All the knowledge and skills will come with experience.
My main advice for women just starting out in business is to not be afraid of making mistakes and to keep moving forward.
Take it step by step, and eventually, you will succeed. I believe in you, and you should believe in yourself too!”
At FancyBloom, I make paper flowers from cardstock for wall compositions, as well as giant stand-alone flowers made from crepe paper. I also teach how to make these flowers.
I design all my flowers myself, ensuring my templates are always unique.
And I also strive to make each piece look modern and highly realistic, so they can fit perfectly into even the most elegant interiors or events.
To read the interview on Voyage Magazine’s website, click here.
Please don’t hesitate to ask me any questions you have about the paper flower business in the comments👇, I will be happy to answer all of them!
I’m Oksana and I love paper flowers and all things paper. Here at FancyBloom I design new flower templates, make paper flower tutorials, and share my ideas and inspiration for fancy and modern craft.
