Tammy from TammyHallam

WORDS WITH TAMMY
Hi! My name is Tamara Hallam, but most people know me as Tammy. I am 17 years old, I live in England with my Mum, Dad, brother and sister and I love sewing, painting, DIY and pretty much anything craft related! Online I am most well known for making kawaii plushies from felt.  I started making youtube videos 18 months ago, and since then youtube has become a major part of my life. Offline I am a college student; I study Art, French and Politics, and next year I am going on to study French and Mandarin Chinese at university. 

Tammy has over 16 000 subscribers on her YouTube channel with over 2 million views and counting. She mainly teaches felt craft on her channel and on occasions, she shares her artsy videos with her viewers. Tammy has spent over 1 year building her channel and is now one of the pioneers in plush toy making tutorials. Tammy is all over YouTube where felt is related and I finally understood why when I finally decided to drop by her colourful channel. She transforms everyday things into plush toys and has one of a kind tutorials that you can only find on her channel. She is dedicated, friendly and probably one that understands her viewers by catering to their needs as she juggles with her daily 'offline' activities as she would have liked to call it.

SNAPS WITH TAMMY

Tammy channeling her inner artist with what she does best.
Watch it HERE

Tammy's favorite pick on a random picture we required

One of Tammy's popular tutorials on YouTube. A rice cooker plush
Watch it HERE

And they all lay pretty and ready to eat. Onigiri felt plush toys.
Watch it HERE

 INTERVIEW WITH TAMMY

1. At what age did you start crafting?

Tammy : I have been crafting ever since I can remember! When I was younger I would collect cardboard boxes, scrap fabric and plastic bottles - then make them into figures, houses, or  clothes for my dolls. I got my first sewing machine aged 11, and started making plushies when I was 15 after being inspired by *Kami-Hoshi (now *littlepaperforest)on deviantart. 

2. Tell us how decided to make videos on youtube

Tammy : My first youtube video was just a fun little ‘tutorial’ showing how to make a cube out of felt. I didn’t expect it to amount to anything; I posted the video online so that I could show it to my friends! However somehow the video gained popularity, and people started to leave comments, asking me to make more videos. From then  realised that nobody on youtube was making  regular plushie tutorials (Although at that time there were a lot of people doing the same thing with polymer clay) so I thought hey, why not? 200 videos later I am very thankful for those who commented on my very first plushie tutorial because otherwise I wouldn’t be where I am today :’)

3. What is your main goal on YouTube as a crafting guru?

Tammy : My main goal has always been to inspire other people to start crafting. I try to show people that making crafts is a lot easier than they think, by breaking everything down into small steps which everybody can follow. I also try to help people as much as I can, by giving tips and advice on how to improve their crafts.  

4. What kind of videos do you make on YouTube?

Tammy : Most of my videos are plushie tutorials - I teach people how to make cute food or character plushies out of felt. Sometimes I like to switch it up a bit and post 'vlogs' or speed painting videos, I think those videos help my viewers to get to know me a little better and they are really fun for me to make.

5. Do you sell your creations?

Tammy : I used to sell plushies on my etsy but I stopped around two years ago. I might start it up again once my exams are out of the way. 

6. What are other hobbies you have besides your forte?

Tammy : When I have some free time I love to draw and paint, especially using watercolours and inks. I am an art student, and so during my free periods at college you will almost always find me in the art rooms with my sketchbook! Another passion of mine is languages, I am currently studying A-level French at college and learning mandarin Chinese in my own time. I can't wait to go to university next year, so that I can focus more of my attention on languages.

7. How long do you see yourself on YouTube?

Tammy : I definitely don't see myself leaving youtube in the near future - there is so much more I want to do with my channel and videos. I will keep making videos as long as people keep watching them, even if that turns out to be 90 years from now :’)

8. What are your thoughts on the crafting community on YouTube?

Tammy : I think the crafting community is a great place to be - there are so many people here that are really passionate about what they do, and they make me feel really inspired and excited to make videos. Sharing ideas is important for any creator if they want to improve on their skills, and especially now with new media and the internet we are all so much more connected which makes it even easier to gain inspiration from each other. In all honesty, I would not have come as far as I have without the support of the youtube craft community, and for that I am truly grateful!

9. User savvy tips for future craftubers?

Tammy : If you are thinking about making craft videos on youtube, the best advice I can give you is to work with and take inspiration from other crafters. The best way to learn is to observe other people – watch closely to see how they make their videos, how they interact with the audience, what is it about your favourite crafters videos that you like so much? This is something that really helped me a lot when I first started making videos. Secondly make sure you interact and talk to others in the community – you can organise or take part in ‘collabs’, do tag videos, and get to know other crafters by talking to them over PM – this way you can gain promotion and learn useful tips, while making lots of new friends in the process!

10. Inspiring message for us and your viewers?

Tammy : Thank you for featuring me on the site, I have really enjoyed answering these questions. :’) To my viewers I just want to say keep crafting – the comments that I really don’t like to see are those that say “Too bad I can’t sew” or “There’s no way I can make this” because I truly believe that you can do anything you set your mind to. Never give up on something you love! <3

LINKS TO TAMMY

Tammy blogs at Plush By Tammy

Subscribe to her YouTube Channel

Official Facebook Page