Blog3Dec2025

If you’d told Helen Smith ten years ago that she’d be running sold-out craft classes, leading a thriving creative community and launching her own membership, she’d probably have laughed. She didn’t grow up crafting. She dropped art at school. She couldn’t even sew a button on until her mid-forties.

And yet today, Helen is the heart and hands behind The Cheerful Crafter.  A business built on confidence, creativity and connection.

From YouTube tutorials to a creative calling
Helen’s journey into crafting didn’t start in childhood. It began about ten years ago when she spotted a post in a Facebook group asking for knitted hats for premature babies. Her daughter Lauren had been born very prematurely, and something about that request struck a chord.

With no prior experience, Helen turned to YouTube, taught herself to knit, and ended up making around 100 tiny hats. That sense of “I made that” lit a spark. From knitting came crochet (also self-taught and left-handed), then sewing, and eventually papercraft.

“I look at something and think, I’ve made that. It might not be perfect, but I made it and that feeling never goes away.”

Lockdown, community, and finding her people
Like many creative businesses, The Cheerful Crafter truly began during lockdown. Helen set up a Facebook group simply to connect; crafting together online, often in silence, each person working on their own project but sharing the space.

Those sessions became a lifeline. Not just for others, but for Helen too.

“The more I did it, the better I felt in myself.”

That sense of community, calm and shared creativity is still at the heart of everything she does today.

A safe space to say “I can’t” … and leave saying “I can”
Ask Helen what she loves most about running creative classes, and she’ll happily tell you she loves the faffing; the preparation, the goodie bags, the thoughtful details. But what really matters is the transformation she sees in the room.

Women often arrive saying, “I can’t make that.”
They leave holding finished projects and a huge sense of pride.

“I want people to feel supported, cared for, and not judged. A safe crafting space.”

For some of her ladies, Helen’s class is their only outing that month. A chance to feel looked after, to try something new, and to reconnect with themselves away from screens and daily pressures.

Building something from nothing
One of Helen’s proudest moments came early on, when she opened a class in King’s Lynn with zero customers. She set the room up as if it were full anyway and kept going.

Month by month, one lady became two. Two became more. By the end of her time at that venue, there were 18 crafters waiting at the door each session.

“That taught me a lot about believing in what you’re doing.”

Alongside her growing classes, Helen has progressed within Stampin’ Up!, built a team, achieved consistent sales, and is now stepping fully into seeing herself as a business, not “just a hobby”.

Supporting local, always
Community sits at the heart of everything Helen does, so it’s no surprise that she’s passionate about supporting other small businesses too, especially women-led, creative ones.

One business that’s been key to her journey is Eau Brink Studio, run by Anita O’Neill. Anita has been a huge supporter of Helen’s work, regularly sharing her events, and Helen now hosts her classes in Anita’s beautiful studio space, a place that perfectly reflects the warm, welcoming feel of The Cheerful Crafter.

Helen is also quick to credit Nicola Liggins, her business mentor and web designer.

“I genuinely wouldn’t be where I am now without her support and relationship.”

And finally, Helen loves supporting fellow makers, including a local crochet artist, Sonia Smith, whose handmade pieces she’s purchased many times over.

“I always try to buy from small businesses when I can, especially people who make things by hand and really care about what they do.”

It’s this give-and-take, community-first approach that runs through everything Helen creates. Not just in her crafting, but in the way she shows up for others.

What’s next: The Cheerful Crafters Club
January marks a big milestone for Helen with the launch of The Cheerful Crafters Club; an online membership designed to make crafting accessible, confidence-building and joyful.

With three tiers, the membership offers:

• beginner-friendly paper craft projects
• step-by-step videos and PDFs
• a private online community
• live group crafting sessions
• one-to-one support at the highest level
• and even a curated crafting playlist

It’s been two years in the making, and it finally feels right.

“I want it to be simple, professional, supportive and to reach people beyond my local area, even internationally.”

Alongside the membership, Helen continues to run in-person classes, craft days, and is developing “craft by post” kits for those who just need a tray, a quiet corner, and a little encouragement.

Making a difference, one project at a time
When asked where she’d like her business to be in a year, Helen doesn’t talk about numbers first. She talks about impact.

“I’m helping people with their time, their confidence, their mental health, whatever phrase you want to use. That’s the bigger picture.”

From someone who never crafted as a child to a woman helping others rediscover creativity later in life, Helen’s story is a powerful reminder that it’s never too late to begin and that small, cheerful projects can make a very big difference.