Bug's Craft Corner
This is a special feature dedicated to the charity of a mother-daughter duo living in South Korea since July of 2018. They have dedicated their time to making beautiful pieces of art and helping local animal rescues. Their generosity has helped us rescue more pugs for two months in a row!
Today, we're talking with the star of the craft corner: McKayla. Otherwise known as Bug, she is a military child from Texas. She raised $360 for Pug Rescue Korea in December and went on to raise another $600 in February!
Tell us about your business— what do you offer, do you handcraft all your goods yourself?
I started doing this business because I love arts and crafts. I’ve been doing projects with my mom since I was little. I offer a variety of things. It changes often so I don’t get bored. I really like to do custom pieces so I don’t have to have a bunch of inventory. I make things like resin keychains, stickers, painted pieces, stuff using traditional Korean Hanji paper, etc. I try to make my own stuff like paints and glue. Since we don’t have a garage in Korea we can’t have a lot of tools so my family can’t make some things. I have to purchase the boxes and trays I work with.
How did you get started?
I wanted to start a business because my best friend in Texas started one. Her family is a lot like ours, they use some of the money they make to purchase dog toys, cat toys, treats, and food for the Killeen Animal Shelter. Leyendeckers Creations & More!
"We call her the cat whisperer" - Bug's Mom
What inspired you to give a portion of your sales to nonprofits?
I was inspired to do charitable stuff for animal rescues here in Korea because of my best friend Laeyanna and my mom. My mom has been doing animal rescue stuff since I was a baby.
What other groups have you supported?
Some of the rescues that we have helped are Nabiya Cat Shelter, EFL (Empathy For Life), Homeward Bound Osan, Grace Stables, Pug Rescue of Korea, and Rebel Rescue. I started raising money in July once I launched my business by making many different types of items to sell. Many of my things are no profit; 100% of the money is given to the charity I sponsor that month. I’m able to do this because my mom helps and supports me so much. Now my brother and dad are helping a little too.
What are your favorite crafts to make?
My favorite thing to do for crafting is to paint. I love painting so much. I paint often with my cat snuggling near me. It’s very calming.
Do you have any funny or interesting stories about crafting or your business that you can share?
Some funny things that have happened since I started my business involved slime. I gave my mom‘s rug a...haircut. That happened because my slime mix spilled all over it. It wouldn’t come off so I thought cutting it out my mom wouldn’t see it…She did.
Another time my mom smelled something really strange. It happened to be slime in a cup in my room that was not a good mix. Now I’m banned from making slime anywhere other than the kitchen counter!
Do you have any pets yourself?
Yes, I have pets! If you know me, you’ll already know I am a cat person. A major cat person! I love dogs too, but cats are life. I have 2 cats that are each 9 years old. We rescued them when they were a few weeks old. My mom bottle-fed them. We adopted a small dog here from a shelter my mom was helping at who is so cute and very spoiled. We are lucky to have found her. She is a good girl.
How did you learn of Pug Rescue of Korea & how did we get so lucky to be chosen by you twice to support!?
We found Pug Rescue of Korea because my mom reached out to Jessica and got it all set up. We were just starting out and looking for rescues that my mom liked on Facebook that we could help with. I wanted to work with your rescue more than once because you’re very nice to me, and I like how you wanted to tell me about the pugs and share pictures with me. Plus, they’re super cute!
Note: At the time of publishing in Korea 03/08/2022 -- it's Bug's 13th birthday! A very Happy Birthday to Bug's Craft Corner from the entire Pug Rescue Korea team!
Bug's generosity raised $960 for Pug Rescue Korea, allowing us to start the new year off with many new pug rescues. Support Bug here on Facebook or Instagram.