Life & Work with Ellie Lewinson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ellie Lewinson.

Hi Ellie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started this business by total accident. I initially launched Ellie Mae Makes as a crafter, making signs and handmade party decor. I hand-made all of my daughter’s party decor when she turned one and I found a really fun creative outlet outside of being a full-time Mom.

When the pandemic hit, I had a friend of a friend reach out to me about a driveway balloon arch. Her daughter’s birthday had to be canceled but she still wanted to do something for her. At that time, drive-by birthday parades were super popular so I agreed to do one for her. That’s when it all started. I got a lot of requests online after I posted pictures and here we are today. Almost 4 years later, we have done all sorts of work throughout the valley.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not always been a smooth path. I have had some failures along the way, but I have learned the most from those failures. The hardest thing about the balloon industry when I first started was there was a lot of competition mentality. No one wanted to share tips or even help with questions. I had to do all the learning basically on my own. I paid for classes from the few artists offering them and took bits and pieces from other sources to really find my own techniques. Now, that has changed.

You can find classes and lots of free tutorials online. I love sharing what I know to help newcomers and I always answer questions. I am very fortunate to have made friends with other local balloon artists in my area, they are always willing to lend a and sometimes listen to my rants! There is still a lot of growing that I would like to do for my business, so I am lucky to know I have a community behind me supporting me along the way.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We love to throw a good party! When clients come to me with their vision, we like to bring it to life with our designs.

We strive to be a one-stop shop at Ellie Mae Makes. We offer backdrop rentals, helium, unique balloon structures, and party decor. Even if there is something that we haven’t done, we will not shy away, we will always try to provide everything a client is looking for.

We are known for our Balloon Mosaics and our Balloon Rainbows. What makes me the proudest is that we started doing cake toppers for small birthdays and today, we are part of Grand Openings for big box stores. We truly love everything that we do, there is no job too small or too big!

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I am the oldest of 5 children, so a lot of my personality comes from being someone my siblings looked up to. We didn’t have much growing up so I always looked forward to going to school. My teachers were so giving and kind and as a child that was so impactful in my life. I decided back then that I wanted to become a teacher. I wanted to be there for other kids like my teachers were for me and like I was for my siblings. Life has a funny way of changing plans so that never got to happen for me. The Market crash in ’08 impacted my family and I had to put work before education.

I love being a wife and mom to my three beautiful kids. I love that I get to be a part of other families’ special moments with my decorations. I wouldn’t trade the way I came to be for anything in the world. I love to crack jokes and make people laugh.

Pricing:

• $400 design minimum for installations
• Grab and Go options for smaller budgets

Contact Info:

• Website: elliemaemakes.com
• Instagram: @elliemaemakes
• Facebook: @elliemaemakes

Image Credits
Paige Lorin Photography and Navy Flower Photography