A 17-year-old teenager is making over $19,000 a month with his custom sticker business, thanks to a craft kit he got for Christmas from his mom.
Caelan McDonald was given a $191.37 Cricut Joy – a digital drawing, cutting and printing machine – for Christmas two years ago by mum Karen Newsham, 49.
He started printing transfers which he stuck onto glass and acrylic – and when he shared them on Facebook, he started getting commissions for custom items.
By early 2024, he was selling about 200 custom items a month — featuring transfers he made at home — working three hours a day after college.
He dropped out of school — investing in large industrial printers — and since July has sold $94,410.31 worth of merchandise on the TikTok store and other platforms.
McDonald’s best-seller this Christmas is a tassel with personalized angel wings, and last year it was the snow globe.
The guy – who works 16 hours a day six days a week – is on track to make $12,7581.50 worth of sales by the end of the financial year, he says.
McDonald, from Lancaster, Lancashire, said: “It’s 100% the best Christmas present I’ve ever received – it’s the gift that keeps on giving.
“I never imagined it would get to this point.
“If you had told me last year that this would happen, I would have just laughed.
“It started somewhat accidentally.
“In June I thought ‘I’ll just try it’ and I went crazy.
“Now I’m so busy I hardly stop.
“The last few months have gone by so fast it seems like two seconds have passed.
“I just put everything back into the business, but it’s nice to be able to update my phone or iPad when I want or need to.”
Newsham, who works in hospitality, said: “I’m incredibly proud of him and so glad he’s followed his journey.
“I was worried and wanted him to stay in education but he was very unhappy and spent hours traveling in the cold when he wanted to work.
“By June he had a really clear idea of what he wanted to do, so we got some advice and I thought it was worth letting him try.
“He has always been an entrepreneur. He is great at selling and listening, responding to his customers and knowing what is trending.
“He works extremely hard and certainly taught me a lot.”
Caelan said he had a difficult time in school and struggled with mental health, but found arts and crafts therapeutic.
He got his Cricut machine from Hobbycraft for Christmas in 2022.
This allows you to design items and then print and cut them onto pieces of vinyl that can be attached to multiple items.
He began posting designs – stickers to put on plant pots and cups – for sale on Facebook in July 2023.
By October he had enough money to buy a better printer and started selling on the TikTok store in November 2023.
He purchased another $5,103.26 UV printer in January 2024 to make larger designs.
Sales grew so much in 2024 that McDonald dropped out of college in June.
He invested another $38,274.45 in two more large printers – up to 2 meters wide – in November 2024, one of which allows him to print on clothes.
By early 2024, he was selling about 200 transfers a month – working three hours a day after college.
In recent months, he has sold around 2,500 items a month – working up to 16 hours a day.
McDonald’s sells individual transfers for $1.53, $4.47 and $127.58.
He also sells empty items like glass cans for people to decorate, and items that McDonald’s has already decorated with his transfers.
“Everything just snowballed,” he said.
“People kept asking for things and it kept snowing.
“It’s crazy.
“I try to take a day off every week, but even on those days I’m answering messages and making new designs.
“It’s hard work, but I like it a lot.
“School just wasn’t an environment I adapted to.
“I was bullied and my school was going through a lot of change – 90% of the teachers were supply teachers at any given time.
“I didn’t pass maths, English, science or history, but my business is very successful.
“There are always other options if school isn’t for you: don’t let exam results define your abilities.”
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Image Source : nypost.com