An entrepreneurial schoolgirl has used her pocket money to establish a business creating custom-made festive baubles.
Emily May Knight, aged 12 from Oldham, started her business almost three months ago after saving up her pocket money for several months to buy a vinyl printing machine to create images that form the basis of her baubles, and she is now re-investing her profits to buy more stock as well as donating 10 per cent of her takings to a different charity each month.
As an avid animal-lover, Emily’s Christmas tree decorations are mainly aimed at pet owners, but she is making memorial baubles for someone who has passed away, and decorations for babies.
She says: “I have two cats, Milo and Bob. They’re both very young, I love hugging them and they help me get to sleep when I go to bed. We’ve had two dogs in the past, but they passed away when they got old. I’ve had two cats before and they passed away when they got old, and I’ve had a snake before as well!”
Her stepdad Ryan Needham, a warehouse operative at Oldham-based Hill’s Panel Products (HPP) Ltd, which supplies board, doors, fittings and accessories to the fitted kitchen and bedroom industry, says: “I think what she is doing is amazing. She creates her own pictures on the printing machine and then sticks them on a clear, plastic bauble. I do something similar at work, printing coloured vinyl on the kitchen and bedroom doors, but she is so good, she’s not needed my help at all.”
Emily, who attends St Damian’s RC Science College in Ashton, sells her decorations for £5 each, or two for £9. Those for animal owners feature the pet’s name and an image and come with pet treats, while the memorial and baby baubles feature a photograph and are filled with coloured feathers.
Ryan adds: “She’s had loads of orders and people are more than happy with them. She’s had a poster printed and she’s got her own Facebook page too.”
Mum Ashley Thornton says: “Emily’s donating 10% of her profits to Pennine Pen Animal Rescue in Oldham. She’s also donated to REELCIC in Oldham, which provides clothes and food to people in crisis at Christmas.” Entitled ‘Awesome Baubles by Em’, Emily’s Facebook page features photos of her creations and has 46 followers and 41 likes.