WESTFIELD, Ind. — Many Hoosiers who were forced to pivot in their careers because of the pandemic are now much happier than they were two years ago. You can certainly add Westfield mother Amber Blakley to that list.
“I actually lost my job due to COVID back in 2020,” said Blakley. “So I thought, ‘What random skills do I have?’ And I thought of gift wrapping!”
Blakley is an experienced gift wrapper, and she has the 4-H blue ribbons to prove it.
“The Christmas holiday season of 2020 is when I first offered this service, and I was really surprised how many people were interested in it,” Blakley said. “They couldn't stand gift wrapping, or they didn't have time to gift wrap themselves. So they handed over their gifts to me and I handled it for them.”
She says her "Westfield Wrapper" business has become so popular over the past two years that she's now wrapping gifts year-round. But Amber does not do gift bags.
“I like the challenge of trying to wrap something even if it's an awkward or large shape,” Blakley said. “I'm very artistic with it. I'm a perfectionist.”
Blakley says her two busiest times of the year are Christmas, followed by Valentine's Day.
“Birthday parties, Christmas decorations, Indy 500 themed boxes, Super Bowl decorations,” said Blakley. “It's just been surprising how many people have reached out to me. In my second holiday season, my business probably tripled.”
This Westfield mother of two has discovered that wrapping presents for a living gave her the best gift of all.
“I thought that I had my dream job - the one that I lost due to COVID,” Blakley said. “I realized I'm at home with my young daughter. I'm never gonna get that time back again. And now, being with my baby, too. It's nice to be home with them and be able to see all the moments that they have. Whereas, if I were in an office, I'd be missing some of those moments. I love being with them. I love being able to show them that you can work hard and have fun and go after something and really make it happen if you believe in it.”