DONNA Illingworth’s hands are always busy. Whether she’s knitting, sewing or making jewellery, her fingers rarely stop.

And the fruits of her labour can be seen in the neat displays in her shop Donna’s Crafts, selling, as the sign above the door reads: ‘Handmade Crafts and Gifts for all Occasions.’

Shelves in the welcoming shop are lined with eye-catching, quirky products that stand out from everyday high street goods.

“Eighty per cent of items on sale are handmade by me, or I have a hand in making it,” says Donna. “Having a workshop upstairs means I can make new products during opening hours while my husband mans the shop, with me on hand to answer any enquires or take personalised orders.”

Donna has had an interest in crafting all her adult life. “I have always crafted in one form or another - jewellery making, card making, sewing, cross stitch or another activity. I love creating new items from old or making things from raw materials.”

During the first Covid lockdown in 2020 Donna set up in her spare bedroom and made various items including knitted toys and face masks she crafted on her sewing machine. “I made items for friends and neighbours, but still had a lot left,” she said.

Then, that Christmas, Donna’s husband Phil bought her a laser engraver as a gift, which sparked an idea for a craft business.

Having made numerous keyrings, coasters and decorative blocks she decided to make a website and create a selling account on the global online marketplace Etsy.

“By this time I had outgrown my spare bedroom and rented a workshop space in Greengates,” she says. “This began well but I missed the interaction with people so I also started taking stalls at craft fairs and events in the local area.”

These included a summer craft event in 2021 at Shipley Underground Market.

“This was a success and I was repeatedly asked if I had a shop or retail space, which I didn’t,” she says. “However, the market manager offered me the chance of a stall in the market to start me off.”

After six weeks Donna, who formerly worked in personnel, banking and for the civil service, realised she wasn’t spending enough time at the workshop and was running out of space for new products.

“I decided to look for something bigger that could incorporate a retail space and workshop. I spoke to the market landlords who had a shop to let in the Arndale Centre with an upstairs space perfect for a workshop. I opened last December.”

She adds: “Having lived in the Shipley area from the age of nine, I knew several retailers and knew there was a strong community spirit. I also felt that my crafts and gifts were quite unique.

Donna has been knitting from the age of ten. “My mum taught me - she had been knitting for as long as I can remember. She made jumpers and cardigans but I preferred to knit toys and small items. In the shop I knit soft toys and bags and more recently, following a course in crochet, I now make crocheted soft toys. I regularly get asked to make soft toys in specific colours.”

Her favourite items are her knitted gnomes. “The reaction I get from customers and friends is worth every stitch,” she laughs. “I also love making personalised wood blocks. The emotion shown from customers when they see a finished block with a loved one’s name on a birth announcement or memorial is so rewarding.

“When I develop a new product and make samples I usually bring these home - they are often claimed by my granddaughter.”

Aside from knitting she loves making quirky coasters and keyrings. “If it makes me smile I hope my customers will smile too.

“I try to stock lines that can be personalised, including mugs, coasters, keyrings, and glasses. I regularly get asked to make items with family pictures and/or personalised messages.

“I have several regular customers who come for repeat items - one holds regular dinner parties and I make themed items for him including coasters, placemats and glasses. I love to get creative.”

Donna has made many “crafty friends” through the craft fairs and shop. “I count these as like-minded crazy people who understand how passionate I am at making new products. The crafting community is very special, you don’t need to know someone for long but with crafting in common you never feel lonely.

“The small shop community in Shipley is very supportive of one another - I regularly get customers visiting that have been directed from other shops looking for a particular item.”

She loves running her own business. “It gives me the freedom to make the ideas in my head real and it gives me great satisfaction when someone wants to buy something.”

*donnaillycrafts.co.uk