Chat with the Creator: Creative Aertz
Sonia from Creative Aertz has a passion for knitting, she knits an array of unique pieces alongside running a typing business from home, as well as 
caring for her two children.
She lives in the beautiful rural town of Matamata (aka Hobbiton) and is married to her high school sweetheart. They have two gorgeous children, aged 10 and 13, one very spoilt golden retriever and a 3 legged Birman cat, who they affectionately call their first born.
We asked Sonia some questions about her NZ made creations:
What do you make and how did Creative Aertz come about?
I love to sew and knit but I mainly hand knit babywear, newborn photograph props, hats for all ages, toys and tea cosies.
Creative Aertz was born when we had children and I wanted to be a stay at home mum so I could always be there for the kids when they needed me. But I also wanted to make some pocket money, so that we could afford to do lots of adventurous things on the weekend. Knitting is very therapeutic for me and it has got me through some very tough times in the past.
My maiden name was “Aerts” but so people didn’t think I made a typo with the “e” in the middle (which happens often) I changed the “s” to a “z” and Creative Aertz was born.
What is your favourite piece that you make?
I love everything I make and my brain is filled with so many ideas, which sometimes keeps me up at night! If I have to choose, I would say that making tea cosies is my favourite, as you can be really creative and make so many different designs that pop up into my head.
What is your most popular piece?
My most popular piece is 100% the red band gumbooties (with the approval of my design by Skellerup) and I sometimes find it hard to keep up. At Christmas time and Mother’s Day, my tea cosies are very popular too.
What inspires you/your creations?
Everything inspires me which is why I have such a busy creative mind. Today, looking out at the autumn colours and the leaves falling I have come up with yet another design for a tea cosy. I often see great colour combinations everywhere and need to write them down just to get them out of my head.
What would you say is your ‘must have for winter’?
I would have to say my must have for winter are my fingerless gloves made with pure wool. I also have a typing business from home and on those cold winter mornings my gloves are a must to get my hands warm and cold fingers working properly.
What is your favourite feedback from a customer?
After many years of Creative Aertz there has been so much wonderful feedback from my lovely customers. One of my favourites recently was:
“These hats are amazing, the quality of workmanship is second to none. I brought these hats for my daughters six years ago and they still wear them to this day. Without fail every time we go out people ask where we got them from because they are so striking. I can’t recommend highly enough.”
What can we expect from Creative Aertz for the rest of 2019?
Lots and lots more knitted and sewn goodies (especially the red bands).
What would your advice be to someone looking at starting their own craft business?
All I can say is believe in yourself and your product and don’t undersell yourself just to get a sale. Social media is very important to get your business name and brand out there but it can also cause self-doubt with nasty comments from people, copying of your ideas and underselling of products. Just hold your head up high, keep positive and believe in yourself and your product and you can’t go wrong. Provide an excellent service and your customers will keep coming back for more.