Chelsea Lesniewski left behind a world of caskets and embalming fluid to bring her dreams to life.

What began as a small online shop has since blossomed into the brick-and-mortar boutique Homemade Hippie at 1009 Fourth St. in Fulton, where Lesniewski now hosts products from a dozen local small businesses, including everything from handmade candles, lotions and soaps to clothing and the store’s signature service: permanent jewelry.

“It’s a custom-fit bracelet, anklet or necklace that I weld together so it doesn’t come off,” Lesniewski said. “We use sterling silver and 14-karat gold-filled metals, so they won’t tarnish and can last for years. You can shower, sweat, swim in them – everything.”

Lesniewski’s journey to entrepreneurship started during her “hippie era,” when she began making and selling clay earrings online to keep her mind occupied during the COVID-19 pandemic. After a few years, she was selling her earrings in other people’s shops and started offering permanent jewelry.

But her work hasn’t always been this lively. Before opening Homemade Hippie in April 2023, Lesniewski was a funeral director and embalmer.

“It’s something I had always wanted to do since junior high,” Lesniewski said of her new business. “Once I started selling my clay earrings in other stores, I started to think, ‘Oh, I could open one of these stores, maybe do something a little more happy.’”

The shop operates from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays, and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays. For more information, view the store’s Facebook page or visit homemadehippie.net.