As the school year kicks off to a busy start, sophomores Kate Bonner (Memorial) and Addie Keracik (Houston Christian) remain particularly busy with their small business, Simply Organized Creative. The two girls initially thought of the idea of Simply Organized at a sleepover in May 2023, bonded by their shared love for all things organization and creativity. Taking inspiration from The Home Edit and combining their 7th grade minds together, Simply Organized Creative was born.
Since its initial launch, the business has grown into something of greater magnitude and breadth. Originally, the girls focused on organizing rooms and bookshelves for friends and neighbors. With the help of social media, specifically Instagram, Bonner and Keracik have expanded their services to bottle paintings, name card personalizations, water color designs, banner painting, and even a Mini Makers Camp for elementary-aged girls during the summer. Moreover, the growth of their Instagram account from 294 followers in July to over 600 as of October has helped Simply Organized Creative reach new customers and audiences.
“From bottle paintings to banner painting, we have done it all,” Keracik said. “We love that Simply Organized has kept us close despite going to different high schools. We are so grateful for Simply Organized and all of the opportunities it has led us to!”
Banner painting has especially caught the attention of many eager customers. The girls have sold over 100 banners for several different events, namely school dances, birthday parties, and gender reveals. The girls work together to design markups digitally before actually painting. After getting approval from the customer, they then move to actually sketching and painting on paper.
“Our favorite craft is probably banners,” Bonner said. “We love to come up with different ideas and designs when planning the banner out. Painting banners is really fun because it is like doing a giant coloring book, but with paint! We love seeing the end result of the banner and much of our banners have progressed from when we first started!”
Over the summer, Bonner and Keracik hosted a Mini Makers Camp, a week-long day camp for young girls to channel their creativity skills.
“It was definitely the most challenging project we’ve taken on,” Bonner said. “It involves so much planning, decorating, and crafting - it’s exhausting but also fulfilling in the best way!”
This year, the girls decided on a pink and lemon theme, decorating the host backyard with many hand-made decorations. Some crafts included making charm necklaces and dream boards, arranging flower bouquets, painting tote bags, and learning introductory calligraphy skills.
“Their little smiles are worth it all,” Bonner said. “We have had so many parents come back to us and tell us how much their daughters enjoyed it and were begging for us to do another week.”
Though balancing high school life with a growing business isn’t always easy, Bonner and Keracik remain motivated by their passion for creativity and organization. Visit @simply_organized_creative on Instagram to see more!
