Willow's Mugs Financial Literacy Article for Students

Ever since she was a little kid, Willow Larson loved to draw. But she didn’t enjoy babysitting or any of the other usual ways to earn extra money as a 12-year-old. When her mom started sharing her drawings on social media, Willow was surprised by the reaction. “People kept saying they would buy my artwork,” she says. That’s when she got the idea to turn her artwork into income.

But selling original art was a lot of work. Each of her watercolor paintings took hours to make. Instead, Willow says, “I thought, why don’t I make something that everybody would want?” Inspired by the popularity of historical photos in her hometown, Willow designed a mug that features different landmarks and items related to her town’s history. Word spread to other nearby small towns, and then the requests started pouring in. The demand was so high, she made an online store to take orders.

Willow Larson loves to draw. She has since she was a little kid. When she was 12, her mom started sharing her drawings on social media. Willow was surprised by the reaction. “People kept saying they would buy my artwork,” she says.

Willow did want to make some money. She didn’t enjoy babysitting or other jobs kids her age often do. At first, she thought about selling original watercolor paintings. But each of those took her hours to make. Instead, she decided to design something she could sell many copies of.

Willow’s first two designs were for towns in Minnesota: her hometown Fertile and Gary, where some of her family lives. But after that, town leaders started reaching out to her to commission—or hire her to make—custom designs.

“They give me a list of things that are important to them or they want included,” she explains. Then she gets working on digital designs. To support her business, Willow invested in an iPad Pro. By making her paintings digitally, she saves money on expensive art supplies like brushes and watercolor paints.

After she finishes the initial sketch, town leaders get a chance to do one round of revisions. She uses that input to finish the illustration, and then she sends it back for final approval to make sure everything is accurate and spelled correctly. Then it’s off to the printers! “If it’s a big order, we’ll order in bulk all of the preprinted mugs,” Willow explains. “But if it’s a smaller order under 15, I have a printing press so I can print my own.”

Willow lives in Fertile, Minnesota. She knew historical photos were popular there. So she designed a mug featuring landmarks and objects related to Fertile’s history. Word spread quickly, and requests for the mugs poured in. Willow made an online store to keep up with the demand.

Willow’s second mug design was for Gary, Minnesota, where some of her family lives. But leaders in other small towns soon took notice. They started hiring her to make custom designs.

“They give me a list of things that are important to them or they want included,” explains Willow. Then she gets to work on a design. Willow decided to invest in a tablet to make this process easier. Making her artwork digitally saves her money on brushes and paints.

First Willow makes a sketch. She sends it to the town leaders for their feedback. She uses their suggestions to finish the illustration. Then she sends it back one more time to make sure everything is correct. Then it’s ready to print! For big orders, Willow orders the mugs from a printing company. “But if it’s a smaller order under 15, I have a printing press so I can print my own,” she explains.

So far, Willow has designed about 50 mugs for different locations across Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. But she has her eyes on big cities.

“I have a lot of places I like,” she says. “I have one that I might do for Minneapolis and the Twin Cities . . . or maybe Orlando!”

Willow has designed about 50 mugs so far. They feature towns in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. But Willow has her eye on bigger cities. “I have one that I might do for Minneapolis and the Twin Cities . . . or maybe Orlando!” she says. “I have a lot of places I like.”

Key Math Idea:

Financial Decisions
The number of mugs Willow—or her client—expects to sell determines how many she makes. Placing large orders is a big upfront cost, but printing orders herself is a time-intensive process. So Willow has to decide if she should spend the time or the money when fulfilling an order.

Key Math Idea:

Financial Decisions
The number of mugs Willow—or her client—expects to sell determines how many she makes. Placing large orders is a big upfront cost, but printing orders herself is a time-intensive process. So Willow has to decide if she should spend the time or the money when fulfilling an order.

Here's how they do it. Record your work and answers on our answer sheet.

A. A set of 6 blank 15-ounce mugs costs $25. How much is each blank mug?

B. Willow charges $22 per mug. If Willow uses her own printing press to fill an order of 5 mugs, what will her profit per mug be?

A. For larger orders, Willow can hire a printing company. One company charges $9.50 per mug. If Willow places an order for 65, what will her profit be after selling all 65 mugs at $22 per mug?