What started as a pandemic hobby has grown into a $4.4 million business, a new retail space, and a team of 30 employees. Krista LeRay, founder of Penny Linn Designs, never planned to build one of the most buzzed-about needlepoint brands in the country—she just wanted a creative break from blogging.
But as seen in Millionaire MNL, her leap from lifestyle influencer to founder of a profitable craft business came down to instinct, timing, and a willingness to bet on herself when the world paused.
From blog posts to 4-inch canvases
LeRay, 33, didn’t ease into the needlepoint world. She spent six hours painting her first 4×4-inch canvas by hand with a fine-tipped brush—working at her kitchen table until 2 a.m., pinky numb, eyes strained.
The goal? To create a needlepoint canvas: a paint-by-numbers guide for embroidery, blending art with craft. It was a personal passion from college that resurfaced during the early days of lockdown.
In 2020, LeRay invested $7,000 of her blog earnings into materials and launched Penny Linn Designs on Shopify. When she announced it to her audience, 500 canvases sold out in two hours. That’s when she knew this was more than a side project.
Scaling a pandemic-era trend into a real business
Penny Linn Designs now offers needlepoint canvases, threads, and accessories inspired by a “coastal preppy” aesthetic—think chinoiserie vases, cursive quotes, bow-tied sun hats, and niche humor like “Your email did not find me well.”
In 2024, the brand earned over $4.4 million in revenue and operated at a 36% profit margin, according to documents reviewed by CNBC. LeRay now leads a team of 10 full-time and 24 part-time employees, and will soon open a 5,000-square-foot retail flagship in Rowayton, Connecticut.
Most canvases range between $30 and $100, a more accessible price point than traditional shops that sell large, multi-hundred-dollar pieces.
“I wanted modern, playful, approachable designs,” LeRay said. “Something you’d want to stitch on a weeknight with a glass of wine.”
Turning down the blog and going full-time
LeRay built her career as a successful lifestyle blogger. She made strong money through affiliate marketing and brand deals. But when the pandemic hit, she began rethinking her content.
“I didn’t feel right posting fashion and beauty when everything was so uncertain,” she said. After giving birth in 2022, she also became more cautious about sharing personal moments online.
By then, Penny Linn had surpassed $416,000 in annual sales, and LeRay made the call: the side hustle was now the main event.
Building a brand with staying power
LeRay acknowledges that crafting trends ebb and flow. But needlepoint, she believes, has deeper roots.
“It’s not a trend. It’s a lifestyle. People stitch into their 90s,” she said. “Our return customer rate is 60%, and once people start, they rarely stop.”
She attributes Penny Linn’s staying power to accessibility and community. The brand actively engages with customers online, shares tutorials, and offers pop culture-inspired designs that make needlepoint feel fresh.
That connection matters. “I am the customer,” LeRay said. “That’s why I know what to make, how to market it, and how to connect with the audience.”
Dealing with criticism, staying creative
Running a visible online business brings opinions—and not all of them kind. LeRay has learned to navigate it with a mix of self-awareness and resilience.
“I give myself 24 hours,” she said. “I cry, I vent, I talk to my husband, my mom, my therapist. Then the next day, it’s over. Time to move on.”
That emotional routine is now part of her business toolkit—along with a willingness to evolve, experiment, and stay grounded in what made Penny Linn successful from the start: personal connection and creative joy.
As seen in Millionaire MNL, LeRay’s story is a clear blueprint for turning a passion project into a profitable brand—when you trust your instincts and build something that feels like home.
Source: CNBC
