Rachel Smith of The Crafted Life, The Unicorn of DIY

Rachel Smith of The Crafted Life, The Unicorn of DIY. Creativity is a beautiful thing, some may even say everyone can be creative if given the opportunity. The Crafted Life was created by Rachel Mae Smith based off of that belief. Like her blog, Rachel is colorful and fun. Her bright pink hair and big smile instantly grabs the attention of everyone around her. Her take on DIY is to make it fun and appealing without taking too much time and money.

Rachel Smith is based in the city of Philadelphia, Rachel is on a mission to spread the fun of crafting through social media and blogging. Five years ago, she worked 70 – 80 hours per week, but craved for something more. She needed a creative outlet. That was when The Crafted Life was born. She started the blog while still working at her full-time job, with a goal of doing one DIY per week and documenting the process.

Today, you can find Rachel Smith’s work everywhere, from Pinterest to Facebook, and her favorite – Instagram. Her feed is filled with beautiful splashes of color with her cheery personality shining through. Social media has allowed her to meet people that she would not have met otherwise. She loves her work, even with the struggles that come with it. “It’s all consuming, and it’s hard to be curated and live a personal life at the same time. It’s a bit of a trade off, but worth it in the end.” No matter the difficulties, Rachel has found a work/life balance that is effective, and she wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Aside from teaching DIY, photography is another passion that burns deep. Her pictures are meticulously created to showcase the brand aesthetic that is The Crafted Life. She uses Lightroom for photo editing and PicMonkey for quick collages. Rachel was able to combine her talents, and with the help of social media, was given the opportunity to quit her previous job and work on her blog full-time. She uses all types of materials, from rhinestones to contact paper. Her creativity knows no bounds, as you can see from this vase decorated using temporary tattoos.

Rachel Smith’s audience is especially important to her. Every post is based on quality with each subscriber in mind. “It’s really about a gut check. If I don’t feel good about a post or a project outcome, I won’t hit publish. More so than ever with all the content that’s on the Internet, it’s about quality over quantity.” Rachel encourages everyone to try DIY. If you are a beginner, she suggests starting with an easy project that only requires a few tools and takes around 10 minutes to complete. Practice allows for more difficult projects in the future. Some of Rachel’s personal favorites include this table makeover, these earrings that she wears on a daily basis, and shooting these DIY temporary tattoos.

Rachel’s schedule is filled with exciting adventures every day. “There is usually always a photoshoot happening, either for the blog or for Instagram, plus responding to emails, editing photos, sourcing props and materials, reading contracts, planning editorial content, pitching brands, writing actual posts, etc.” Rachel has expanded her brand to merchandise like the Shut Up Sassy Lip Enamel Flair Pin that you can purchase on Etsy. She loves her city and the people in Philadelphia and has no plans on leaving anytime soon. The energy is amazing and pretzels are fifty cents! For now, Philly is her home, and the city is very lucky to have her.

What makes The Crafted Life different from other DIY blogs is the focus on the audience and the abilities within each person to create something amazing. The aesthetic of her social media pages is beautiful, filled with bright colors and gorgeous photography. Her instructions are very clear and written in a language that is disarming. Rachel understands her community and speaks to them as friends through the Internet. She took DIY to different platforms, teaching people around the world about the joys of crafting. Her encouragement helps build happiness around her, letting you know that there is a friend out there rooting for you.