CSB senior starts earring business

Ever since the pandemic broke out and we were all forced into quarantine, we have all been driven to find new things to help harness our creativity. For some of us, that might be doing puzzles, watching TV, doing crafts or learning a new skill. Taylor Notsch did just that. Not only did she learn something new, but she built a business out of it.

One day in May, while she was scrolling through her Instagram feed, Notsch found a pair of earrings made of clay that she loved and decided to order them. But, when she got them, she realized that these earrings were something that she could easily make on her own.

“I began playing around with the clay and other materials for about a month… It took a lot of trial and error to figure out the best steps to make a quality product,” Notsch said.

As soon as she figured out how to do this, she decided to turn this hobby into a business. On Jun. 3, less than a month after she first bought the earrings she found on Instagram, she started her business, Joetown Earrings.

The earrings that she makes, handmade polymer clay earrings, take lots of time and energy to make in order to ensure good quality. This process involves mixing the clay with different colors, and conditioning it in order to make it easy to work with. Once the clay is ready and all the air bubbles are removed, Notsch puts the clay through a pasta machine, then uses cookie cutters to make the shapes that she wants. Then, she sands the clay down and uses a small drill bit to make the holes in the earrings. She then adds the final cosmetic touches.

All in all, this is about a two-day process for one batch of earrings. Even though starting a business like this can be scary, Notsch’s communication major has helped her to prepare for the ins and outs of starting a business.

“A lot of my studies thus far have focused on marketing a product, and it’s been a really helpful background to have while starting up this business. My studies with social media have made it a lot easier to grow a following for Joetown Earrings,” Taylor said.

Despite her schoolwork and the smaller space at school compared to her home, Notsch is still making earrings. If you are interested in learning more about Notsch’s earrings, you can follow or DM @joetownearrings on Instagram. She makes custom orders, and CSB students get $3 off their order. Additionally, there are also holiday giveaways to get your hands on a pair of these earrings.