The Side Hustle: Nanny puts her best foot forward to make personalized shoes

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - A nanny with a love of crafting stepped forward with a side hustle for those who love shoes.

For Dawn Chaplain, of Ocean Isle Beach, her side gig started with a request from a family member.

“My niece, when she was turning 30, she knew I loved to craft and she asked me if I would make a pair of Little Mermaid heels for her thirtieth birthday," she said. "So began Heavenly Heels.”

Chaplain spent the past 30 years working as a nanny. However, she always had a creative side.

She sells custom-made shoes at her Etsy shop and customers find out about her designs on Facebook or by word of mouth.

She makes them in a room in her house and ships them all over the country.

She finds the feedback she gets from clients to be very flattering.

“I love it and I get tons of compliments," she said.

Her most popular design is for weddings; Some brides wear her white, romantic heels, but Chaplain said most prefer to wear her Batman design on their big day.

The shoes cost anywhere from $40 to $75.

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