Amber Stafford’s first job outside of college was interior design. The Racine native moved to Milwaukee to be a kitchen and bathroom design and sales consultant. However, I felt that something was missing.
She lacked the artistic side of design in her work – art has been her hobby since kindergarten.
“Everything was just the same, and I think that’s what drove me to make a technical career and break that standard,” Stafford said. “My life was filled with cookie cutter home decor, it all looked like a basic home ad in a magazine or something off my Pinterest board.”
When the pandemic hit the world in 2020 and Stafford was in quarantine, she quit her consulting job and decided to pursue the creativity that had given her name.
Carpet making was just a hobby she pursued when she was living at home, but then she got really excited about it.
“I never thought I’d have all these thoughts,” she said. She received so much encouragement and support from friends and family, and said it was a huge boost she needed.
People also read…
Pictured is a sample of a custom Amber Stafford rug that she sells with her company, Makers of We.
picture sent
Stafford, 24, founder of Makers of We, creates custom rugs and home décor. The designs range from landscapes to food, pets, leaves, flowers, human faces, sports logos, colorful abstract designs, human body and animals.
Detail-oriented process
Stafford graduated from Walden III in 2016. Walden was where she was able to truly explore her passion for art, through her elective courses, she said.
She received an Associate Degree in Interior Design from Gateway Technical College in Kenosha in 2019.
She officially launched her business as a full-time business in 2021. Her brand name, Makers of We, is based on the title song “The Makings of You” by Curtis Mayfield.
You’ve learned how to make rugs through YouTube, Instagram, and interact with the social media pages of experienced rug makers. I’ve also been involved in many hours of trial and error.
The image is a commissioned work of the Moon as a mirror by Makers of We founder Amber Stafford in March 2022.
picture sent
She is now working from home full time.
She started the rug making process using her iPad to create a design. The design is projected and traced onto a rough frame, which holds a piece of fabric taut in place. Next, you punch the thread into the frame with a tufting gun and spread glue on the back side to hold the thread in place.
Makers of We Amber Stafford poses with her work “The Morning Mirror” in October 2021 before Art N Out at the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee.
picture sent
Finally, you use sheep shears to trim the rugs and give them a smooth, smooth finish. The reverse side is finished with a felt backing.
“It’s a long, detail-oriented process,” Stafford said. “It’s kind of relaxing. I get some music and go out sometimes.”
Stafford said she enjoys making rugs because of the large size of the artwork and the fact that she can make a statement piece for someone to put in their home.
“I really hope it’s a timeless version of someone’s home and bits and sticks to it,” Stafford said. “I want to create something that they can refer to at that time. With the Pet Mat, they can have something to memorialize and remember.”
Pictured are some of the pet committees for pit bulls set up by Makers of We founder Amber Stafford in February 2022.
picture sent
Pictured are some pet commissions for a Labrador retriever and a German Shepherd made by Makers of We founder Amber Stafford in October 2021.
picture sent
About 50% of her work is commission based, which is mostly pet photo rugs. Additionally, she creates her own pieces and designs.
Most of her sales and interactions take place online, but she plans to spread her business by word of mouth by attending craft shows and in-person events this year.
She crochets, paints and paints as hobbies. However, they were just hobbies.
Pictured are some rugs shaped like the human body as part of the Made With Love collection from Makers of We founder Amber Stafford, who hung them from a tree in Cudahy in August 2021. Stafford said she hung the works in this way to connect her art with nature.
picture sent
“For some reason, the carpet just stuck to me,” Stafford said. “It’s a little deeper than just a hobby. I felt like I could create more and connect with people and make something they hadn’t seen before. It’s a newer look. Maybe with my process, it’s a new age of it. A modern twist.”
