Firstly, tell us about yourself and your business…
I’m Nikki, I’m 42 and I live in Hunters Bar with my husband and 5-year-old son.
My business is making beautiful homewares, gifts and crafts from dried flowers and natural materials. My resources come from my gardening work, foraging in the local area, and my back garden where I grow flowers from seed. I dry everything in my attic studio, which is where the magic happens.
What was the main motivation for setting up your business?
After many years working in politics, and the shift in perspective that came from Covid and other life changes, I joined my husband in his gardening business in 2021.
A year later I started working with dried flowers as a side hustle, and I’m now looking to grow it so I can split the year between gardening in the warmer months, and dried flower creations when it’s cold.
Where do you find inspiration for your creations?
I get a lot of inspiration from the gardens I work in – I take great pleasure from plants and flowers in their natural state, and I love to experiment to find out which materials work best for drying.
I am hugely influenced by and have received support from other Sheffield female run businesses such as Swallows and Damsons, Kohler and MoonKo. I also take inspiration from the changing seasons and adapt my work according to the time of year, and the offerings of the earth at that time.
What are the benefits to owning your own business?
I love the freedom that owning a business affords me. It’s allowed me to pursue my creative ideas, and to work my job around my family, instead of the other way round. My son recently got diagnosed as autistic, and it’s become apparent that my husband and I are both neurodivergent too – so it really helps to have the flexibility to adapt the business to our needs.
How can people get in contact/purchase your creations?
Please come and find me on Instagram @nikki_noo_driedflowers and on my website – www.nikkinoodriedflowers.co.uk.
You can also find me at local markets, and I have plans to run a number of workshops in the Sharrow Vale area – so keep your eyes peeled for that.
