Welcome to the “How It All Began…” story.
I’m Anita Orr,
owner and designer behind WallCutz stencil shop!
Before WallCutz, I had owned a sign shop in Canada for 10 years; offering vinyl Lettering and decals. I was a busy mom of 5 kids but was able to work from home: making and shipping vinyl sign products. Every free moment was spent working and designing. I'm not sure how I managed to do it all....(the house wasn't as clean as it could be....meals were not gourmet...) but we made time for the important things and somehow found balance.
In college I had majored in Interior Design; and I've also always loved typography and the art of ‘word design’. So, starting a sign business was just a perfect fit with my love of sign making and home décor.
In 2017- our family decided to move to the U.S.; so, I sold the business and we headed off on our new adventure to Utah, USA. (where we now reside).
Later that fall (2017) I opened a new Etsy shop called WallCutz; and began selling vinyl decals again. I was working out of the spare bedroom in our home, and I really enjoyed being able to use my creativity again and contribute to the family budget. With only two kids at home at this time; work/life balance was a little easier (and house a little cleaner). I quickly noticed a trend with customers frequently asking for stencils instead of decals...so I began offering the adhesive/one-time use kind of vinyl stencil. That eventually evolved into figuring out how to make reusable stencils out of a really thin, plastic material (5mil mylar). This was a huge step forward in that we could now offer reusable stencils as well as vinyl; and helped the Etsy shop tO continue to grow. This is where Bruce (aka hubby) comes in…
Meet Bruce:
co-owner of WallCutz! Bruce has worn many hats in his career life; from teacher to working in the oil fields. Upon moving to Utah, Bruce started an irrigation repair company and was kept super busy from spring to fall. Come wintertime; he would help me with the vinyl business and looked for ways to help it grow. During the winter of 2018; he experimented with some Facebook advertising and set up an official WallCutz website. At the time I didn’t have a lot of hope or foresight that this would be beneficial; but Bruce proved me wrong. Before I knew it, I was asking him to please stop advertising so much! I couldn’t keep up with the demand. But this was a good problem to have. We both started looking for better ways to manage production and find a more effective way to make stencils. With a little research we decided we would need a laser cutter; and by the summer of 2019; we bought our first laser!
I’ll always remember the day when the first laser machine was dropped off on our driveway. It came all the way from China in a great big wooden crate, and I definitely felt a little panicky at first! My brain was thinking “what did we just do??!!....how much did we just spend??!”. With the help of Bruce; WallCutz stencil shop was growing in ways that I couldn’t have done on my own. And he gave me the confidence that we could make this work; together!
Over the next year we bought a second laser and somehow managed to fit both in our garage. The garage was the main manufacturing room, and our family room became the packaging and shipping station. This worked for a while but soon became obvious that we needed more room to expand. In the first half of 2020; when everyone was stuck at home during Covid and needing some crafting therapy; we saw a big spike in business. Shopping online and crafting became a popular CoVid past time. In June of that year we moved into a warehouse space and were able to have some much needed space (and get our garage home back to just being a ‘home’!)
We are now enjoying a full warehouse; 4 laser machines and 7 employees! We enjoy going to work each day and helping our customers succeed in being crafty. So many of you run your own sign business and it’s our goal to help make that easier.
I am grateful for Bruce and his part in helping the business to grow. He is definitely more of a risk taker / numbers guy which I really needed. He manages the advertising and finance side of things and I am happy being the designer/ production manager. It’s not always advisable for husbands and wives to work together; but we complement each other really well and have enjoyed having something to work on together.
What does the future hold for WallCutz? Well right now we’re exploring some new wood products/ kits that we can make with our laser machines. Hopefully we can stay in tune with what 'crafters' need and what ‘makers’ want. I’ve been involved in the crafting world for over 15 years and I love seeing how the industry evolves. Trends come and go but the need for crafting therapy will always survive.
A big thank you to all our customers for supporting our small, family business! We work hard to offer you the best products and customEr service possible!
Debbie Lawrence - January 08, 2024
Loving Wallcutz stencil products! I am hosting stencil painting workshops as addition to my flower and gift store business and it is a big hit! We recently made several porch leaners and now I am offering a class to stencil the backside so they have a double use for their porch leaners! Thank you Anita for always being so helpful when I have questions! All the best to you in 2024! Small businesses supporting small businesses!
Jane Baxter - October 11, 2023
As a fellow Canadian I want to compliment you on your second to none customer service! You guys are great!! I love your story and wish you much continued success! Congrats on the new place.😉
Catherine Snyder - October 07, 2023
Love your story! I just love you all the more now❣️❣️❣️
Merro - August 04, 2023
Language playgrounds ignite minds, build bonds, spark joy. Word games: mental exercise, laughter, connection, growth. https://playwordgames.org
Ash - July 27, 2023
Step into the whimsical world of Monkey Mart! Manage a lively store, serve amusing customers, and tackle fun-filled puzzles for endless entertainment and rewards https://quillfulgames.com/monkey-mart
Glen Twede - July 26, 2023
Bruce, this is a ghost from your past with a quick question. By any chance do you still do sprinkler systems, or are you too busy to come to Utah county?
jack - July 21, 2023
Phrazle is an interactive word game that boosts language skills and offers enjoyable brain-teasing challenges for players. https://phrazle.website
Claudia Keenan - May 19, 2023
That is a beautiful story. Lucky for us that you found each other and are making such great products! They have given me many hours of therapy while making a few bucks. Thank You!!
Ruth - May 18, 2023
Love this story! Your products are amazing. I love how I can email you all and get a response!! Have you considered an app?
Allie - May 17, 2023
This is just an amazing story of how WallCutz was started. This is an awesome family company that I am grateful for in so many ways. It literally changed my life! Not only are your stencils beautiful and creative, the personal attentiveness to each order and communication makes this company one of a kind. Thank you WallCutz!
Julie Andrews - May 15, 2023
I found Wallcutz when I was looking for a stencil to make stove covers for my daughter’s for Christmas. I would have no idea exactly how many stencils I have probably close to 200. I just can’t seem to help myself!!
Tim Piepenbrok - May 15, 2023
I discovered Wallcutz at Thanksgiving 2020 when searching for ideas to compliment my woodworking and craft hobbies. I don’t operate as a business but I carve and create wood pieces for friends and family mainly as gifts. I have sold some items in the past but time is precious. I love Wallcutz products and services. Anita and Bru e ha e treated me like we are close friends.
Donna Stark - May 15, 2023
What a beautiful blog. I really enjoyed reading it and getting to know you a little better.
You have created a wonderful Company.
Martha Barker - May 15, 2023
I love seeing post like this. Everyone enjoys that lil more personal touch with a company. Though I just recently retired after 20+ years as a math/algebra teacher, I always used lots of visuals that I made for my classroom. Now my husbands cuts boards and builds products and I do all the painting and details! We love working and brainstorming together.
Thank you for your dedication to growing your business!!!
Patti - May 13, 2023
Good for you & your husband! U can’t exceed in your dream if u first do not try! My husband & I worked together also ( in two separate businesses at two different times, consecutively) & it worked out well also. Have a very happy Mother’s Day tomorrow & many more successful years in life together 😊👍😃