Nurse-Turned-Crafter Turns This Product Into $121,400 Etsy Empire – You Might've Heard Of It

At 2 a.m. on a chilly March night in 2021, Megan Walsh was pacing around her bedroom in Manahawkin, New Jersey. Overwhelmed by the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic, the part-time endoscopy nurse was suddenly working full-time, exhausted from back-to-back hospital shifts. 

On top of it all, she was mourning the recent loss of her father, a gardener whose love for plants had always inspired her. Desperate for a creative outlet, Walsh turned to her laptop and typed, "ways to be artsy with plants."

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That late-night search turned out to be life-changing. She ordered a pound of eucalyptus online for $40 and crafted a simple wall decor for her living room. The result wasn't just therapeutic – it became the blueprint for a booming business. 

Two years later, according to CNBC Make It, Walsh's Etsy shop, MegansMenagerie, has become a financial powerhouse, bringing in over $121,400 in 2022 alone. By September 2023, her shop averaged $9,800 in monthly sales, putting her on track for another six-figure year.

For Walsh, 41, the success of her Etsy shop has redefined her life. "I don't have to have a full-time job because of Etsy," she explains. With her side hustle bringing in $60,000 in personal profit this year, nearly matching her nursing salary, she's been able to cut back on hospital shifts and focus on her family. 

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The extra income has funded major milestones, from buying her daughter a car to hosting unforgettable birthday parties.

This wasn't Walsh's first brush with Etsy. Back in 2009, as a nursing student at Ocean County College, she started selling crocheted scarves on the platform. Her first sale – a $40 cowl-neck scarf – was the spark that kept her crafting in her spare time. 

By 2012, she noticed a growing demand for chevron-patterned fabrics and began sewing trendy scarves on her mother's old Singer machine. Business boomed; she earned up to $50,000 annually during Etsy's chevron craze, even buying a brand-new 2013 Dodge Journey with her profits.

But by 2014, life caught up. Between finishing her bachelor's degree, starting her nursing career, and raising her second child, Walsh's Etsy shop took a backseat. That all changed during the pandemic when she picked up her crafting tools again and discovered the magic of eucalyptus. 

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She created unique wall hangings that quickly became customer favorites by preserving the plant with glycerin and adding other dried flowers. Her annual revenue soared to $78,400 in 2021, then $108,300 in 2022.

Etsy has also transformed her family dynamics. Walsh's husband, formerly a restaurant manager, now stays home to help with shipping logistics and care for their three children. The extra income has covered family vacations, student loan payments, and even a $20,000 vow renewal ceremony last year.

Still, Walsh knows her limits. She took MegansMenagerie offline during the 2023 holiday season to avoid the stress of shipping deadlines. "I'm not Amazon," she says. "You're getting a handmade product I made in my living room."

Walsh's story is part of a larger trend. Etsy reported $2.74 billion in revenue in 2023, with 96 million active buyers and about nine million sellers, 97% of whom run their businesses from home.

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