A Story Stitched with Purpose
Meet Emily Long, the heart and hands behind Created Purposefully. Emily lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, their three kids, two labs, and more yarn than she will ever admit to owning.
Emily first picked up a crochet hook at thirteen years old, learning the craft from her grandma and a whole lot of YouTube videos. Like many childhood hobbies it eventually took a back seat to real life. But as it turns out, God had a plan for those skills all along.
In 2020 everything changed. COVID sent Emily home from her job at the school district with a one year old at home and a lot of time on her hands. She started crafting earrings, then tumblers, then shirts, always looking for that thing that felt truly right. Then she picked up a crochet hook again and something clicked. She found her passion, her purpose, and a way to stay home with her kids and never look back. Today Emily is a full time stay at home mom who homeschools her three children and runs Created Purposefully from home every single day.
The name is not an accident. It comes straight from Ephesians 2:10, which says we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which He prepared for us long ago. Emily never imagined she would own a business. Growing up she thought she would be a teacher. But God had a different plan, a better one.
"Did I ever think I would own a business? No way. But He always knew the plan."
She believes with her whole heart that Created Purposefully is exactly what she was made to do. When orders would slow and doubt would creep in, she would pray over her business and without fail a new order would come through. That has happened enough times that she stopped questioning it.
"I know this is God's purpose and calling for my life."
Every single plushie starts with a simple choice of animal and a trip to the yarn bin. Emily picks her colors, grabs her hook, and gets to work. As she crochets she stuffs each piece to bring it to life, then adds the finishing details like eyes and sewn accents before closing it up by hand. Small pieces take about twenty to thirty minutes. Medium pieces take a couple of hours. Larger pieces can take four to five hours from start to finish. Every single one is made by her hands and her hands only. Not mass produced. Not rushed. Made with care every single time.
She makes plushies for kids, for adults, for people who just need a little something that feels special. Her favorite part is hearing how much people love them. She has made countless custom horses based on photos of real animals and the reactions never get old. She loves watching kids at events light up when they find the one they want to take home. Over 2,000 sales on Etsy alone and she is just getting started.
"I want them to smile, bring happiness, and love and cherish it forever. Not just another stuffed animal."
What Emily wants most is simple. She wants every single person who receives one of her creations to feel something real. Something made with intention, given with love, and kept forever.
That is what Created Purposefully is all about.