Terra Cotta : Spokane-Based Earring Designer

“When you feel beautiful, you do beautiful things”

Jenna Wilson, creator and owner of Terra Cotta, believes that “when you feel beautiful, you do beautiful things.” Her and her family moved to Spokane from Santa Cruz, CA in Nov 2018 to be closer to family. Her and her husband have two little boys (two years old & five months). Jenna started Terra Cotta in July 2019 and since then, she hasn’t looked back!

When it comes to her jewelry-making experience, she didn’t have a ton. Years ago she “made some hammered metal jewelry for fun” but ultimately taught herself how to mold terra cotta clay into jewelry from Youtube and Pinterest! She started  making them for herself as a craft, but quickly her friends started asking for some for themselves. So, Jenna decided she could turn her little hobby into a business and work from home as a mom.

Jenna graduated college with a Bachelors in Psychology and had some basic business knowledge, but “kind of just dove in head first”. She’s always loved to DIY and create, so this was the perfect combination of those that she could turn into a business.

As for her process, she makes it seem simple, though I think she’s selling herself short. She starts by rolling out the clay, then hand cutting the shapes and designs for her earrings. After cutting, she bakes the shapes, lets them cool, then punches the clay so she can attach the hardware. Speaking of the hardware, she uses 18k plated gold studs so that people with sensitive ears can still enjoy her products. After this process, the earrings are ready to be sold, unless she wants to add an extra flair with some paint, which you can find with some of her signature leopard pieces. 

I’ve had a lot of fun partnering with store owners. I love the retail side of things and collaborate with other local business owners.

Tell us about the name, Terra Cotta.

“Terra Cotta is a type of clay. I am inspired by nature and plants and I want my earrings to reflect that. I tend to stick to neutral, natural colors I tend to like mid-century styles and shapes as well.”

Are they heavy?

“They’re very light and don’t weigh down your ear lobe like you might think.” I can attest to this personally!

Price point?

“All earrings are $20 or two for $30. Studs are $10 each.”

Do you do custom orders?

“Yes! I can do special earrings for your bridal party, birthday, gifts for friends, etc.”

How many styles/collections?

“I have 12 collections at this point, and growing!”

Whats your best seller?
“The leopard painted pieces are really popular and anything black or our natural color.” (The natural color is a soft taupe-pinkish)

Where can I get your earrings locally?

Garment district in CDA

The Bohemian in Spokane

Soon be able to shop online!

DM her for orders on instagram

What is your favorite part about owning your business?

“I love that each piece is so simple, but it can instantly make you feel put-together and ready for the day. It’s hard as a mom sometimes to practice self-care and get dolled up, so this makes it more available.”

What is the hardest part about owning your business?

“Sometimes it’s difficult to keep all of my ideas narrowed down and simple. I tend to get overwhelmed with so many ideas, so trying to effectively execute and not overwhelm people while balancing mom life tends to be my biggest challenge”

Where do you like to eat around Spokane?

“We love Ruins and we love breakfast spots like Chaps and Boots. We’re also fans of One Tree Cider House!”

If you were on an island and could only bring three things, what would you bring?

1. My babies

2. My bible/Journal

3. My glasses (i’m totally blind)

If you’re dying for some of these handmade earrings of your own, stay tuned to shop her website, send her a DM on instagram (@Terracotta), or visit one of the local shops listed above.

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