Consulting Services
What on earth is a DIY consultant? I work with people individually to teach the skills they need to incorporate secondhand and hand-crafted elements into their wardrobe and decor; with style, and with confidence.
Everyone deserves a home and clothes that reflect them. Incorporating handmade, thrifted and upcycled pieces is a phenomenal way to save money, find higher-quality items, and truly personalize your space. But sometimes the desire to use DIY strategies can outpace the skills, the time, or energy to actually do it. This mismatch can often lead to all sorts of headaches: accumulation of materials or half-finished projects, or just giving up altogether, and feelings of disappointment.
I have over 30 years of experience with crafting, upcycling and secondhand decorating. In that time, I’ve developed an array of tools that will focus your efforts, and resist both the clutter and analysis paralysis. Through individual consultation, I will teach you these skills, and assist you in building a personal strategy to reach all your style goals.
DIY should be fun. Let’s take the stress out of the process, and reignite your passion for DIY!
Start your Journey Today!
Finding your Style
We all want to elevate our style – whether it be with interiors or fashion. But it can be difficult if you don’t have a background in design. Finding your voice takes time and experimentation, and I can guide you through the process so you can make strides sooner, and with clarity.
Build your Personal Plan
As with any project, you can’t move forward without a plan. Thrifting and crafting are just the same. I will walk you through a series of exercises designed to bring your personal priorities into focus, then define them clearly and succinctly. With a strategy in place, you can move forward with confidence.
Grow your Skills
Lately, everyone is dabbling in new and different crafting skills. But sometimes that can come with extra headache: accumulation of materials, and a sense of guilt over half-finished projects. I will teach you how to prioritize projects based on your personal taste, rather than the latest fad. Together, we will shed the guilt and focus on fun!
Conquer the Clutter
A big step in building your personal style is clearing out old and disused items. Together, we will come up with criteria to make these decisions easier for you in the future, and most importantly – less stressful.
Gain Confidence
A big piece of your DIY journey is building confidence: the confidence to make strong decisions and try new things. By setting clear goals and boundaries, you give yourself permission to experiment, and take the pressure off any one individual decision.
Rediscover your Passion for DIY
Personal style, whether it pertains to fashion or interior decor, is a lifelong journey. It’s something that will constantly evolve and change. Style is something you carry with you always, and it should be a joy, not a chore. Let me help you reignite your love of crafting, and of secondhand living.
How It Works
- Sessions can be in-person or virtual
- Sessions typically last 1 hour
- In the introductory session, I will interview you about your goals and obstacles. We will then set a personalized plan to manage our time together
- In following sessions I will guide you through exercises and give you some to try on your own time. This allows you to practice the concepts we discuss during our sessions, and start building proficiency on your own
- Timing of sessions is highly individual. I typically recommend we space sessions apart at least a few weeks, to give you time to work with the topics we discuss and try new things
- In-person sessions can include “field trips” Travel to a thrift shop, antique show, flea market, or garage sales. I will shop along with you, and assist you in applying skills for decision making, browsing with intention, prioritizing, haggling, and budgeting.
- I can come to your home and help you organize and assess craft items & thrifted items, and tackle de-cluttering. I can assist with small spaces or categories; for larger spaces, I can recommend a professional organizer.
- My hourly rate is $200, but flexible for clients with low-incomes. I also have discounts for clients who commit to a package of sessions up-front. Please feel free to inquire about rates and discounts.
Start your journey today
My consultation rates are flexible. Please reach out with inquiries or questions!
Shoshana's Cottage 