July 18, 2024

For Chloe Arrington, communications officer II in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, it was only a matter of time before her life-long love of all things Disney and her passion for sewing and crafting came together.

Last year, after months of designing and prototypes, she opened her first Etsy store, Simply Earresistible Designs, where she sells handmade, originally designed Mickey Mouse Ears.

"It all started when I found a limited-edition Hot Wheels toy that was the steamboat from the cartoon Steamboat Willie. I had a vision of the boat as the centerpiece on a pair of ears, and I knew I had to make them," said Arrington. "We'd gone to Disney World a few months prior; I guess the excitement of the trip hadn't worn off!"

With the end vision in mind, a trip to Michael's for supplies, and some help from YouTube, she got to work planning what she thought would be a one-off accessory to wear if she ever went to the theme park again.

Arrington had not sewn in years but returned to the hobby in 2020. "I started making face masks for family and friends and remembered how much I loved it. I used to make clothes, tote bags, anything I could, but when I left Australia and moved to Canada in 2010, I sadly had to leave my sewing machine behind."

After a practice pair, Arrington made the Steamboat Willie ears and realized she had found a new favorite hobby. "Once I started looking, I realized the possibilities were endless. I collected the materials for a few pairs featuring my favorite Disney movies."

Arrington never intended to make ears for anyone else, let alone sell them. She had seen other stores and what they were producing, competing with them seemed impossible.

"I never thought I could sell them because I was still figuring out the best techniques and materials. My hand sewing was rusty, and it's a huge part of the construction. I made a pair that was Beauty and the Beast themed and sent a picture of them to a friend, and within a few minutes her sister sent me a text asking to buy them."

Arrington was still hesitant to try to sell them publicly. "There are countless stores online that have been selling for years. I knew that if I was going to try, I had to have something unique to bring to the table."

It didn't take long for her to realize that unique element was right before her. "I had found a lot of fabric and supplies secondhand from people downsizing their craft rooms, at rummage sales, and thrift stores, so I could only make as many as the fabric I had allowed. That's when the idea of limited quantities and bespoke pairs came to me. I wanted to make something that would stand out. People wear the same ears because they buy them at the parks. I wanted to have customers that were getting asked where they got their ears!"

Aside from offering limited quantities, this also led to a sustainability commitment that each pair of ears contain at least two pieces of recycled, upcycled, or repurposed materials.

"I've been lucky to find a lot of bulk materials like interfacing and batting, and I can have this sustainability element in my store. I still buy fabric and other materials, but it feels good knowing I am saving what I am from landfill," she said.

The store has over 30 designs currently available, including seasonal designs and two limited-edition styles celebrating the opening of the new ride Tiana's Bayou Adventure at Walt Disney World this summer.

Arrington's wife has also embraced the store, happily attaching rhinestones wherever needed and helping conceptualize the designs.

"I couldn't do it without her," said Arrington. "Building an Etsy store and social media presence is a marathon, not a sprint. I knew it would be a slow process, and I would not go viral overnight. But it is hard not to get discouraged at times. She helps keep me motivated, and doing it together is much more enjoyable."

The store is also slowly releasing items other than ears. "I'm excited about a new product I just launched. It's a 3D-printed ear holder that you can mount to the wall to display your ears. Several students in the Flowers Invention Studio helped me figure out some of the harder details around this, and I am so happy with how it turned out."

Along with opening the store, Arrington and her wife became Disney World annual pass holders and love being able to take pictures around the parks with the ears they have made.