ENTERPRISING youngster Isabel Haig was heartbroken when her prized iPod was stolen.
But rather than begging her mum to buy her a new gadget, the 10-year-old entrepreneur set up her own business selling loom bands to raise funds to buy her own music player.
With the help of her mum Lisa and dad Andrew, the youngster — who attends Eagley Junior School — set up Loomed by Izzy, bought a bulk load of the brightly coloured bands and got to work making bracelets, key rings, rings, pencil toppers and snakes.
Over the summer she went to five summer fairs and raised more than £300 selling items for £1 to £1.50.
By July, she had raised enough to buy a new iPod Touch.
Isabel said: “I was really upset when my iPod got stolen and this was the best way to raise money to buy another one.
“I love making the snakes and pencil toppers most, and want to carry on selling them.”
The loom band craze — which involves youngsters weaving brightly coloured bands together to make bracelets and other trinkets has swept the nation this year.
One youngster in Bolton even made a pair of glasses using the popular bands, while some school have banned the hobby as it was distracting youngsters from their studies.
Mrs Haig, from Astley Bridge, added: “I’m really proud of her, she’s worked really hard over the summer and it has paid off.
“She’d bought the original iPod with her birthday money earlier this year but it got stolen at a service station. She was devastated at first as you can imagine, and the easiest thing to do would have been to buy her a new one, but they are expensive.
“She had been making loom bands for free for friends at school and I suggested that she sell them instead. So she got a stall at the school fair and started making all sorts of styles.
“She did a few more fairs and has probably sold almost 250 items in total.”
To see Isabel’s creations and enquire about placing an order, visit facebook.com/loomedbyizzy.
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