College student from Oostburg creates decorative wreath-making and crafting supply business
SHEBOYGAN COUNTY, Wis. (CBS 58) – Wreaths are made in circles, with no beginning or end, to symbolize the endless connection we have with our loved ones. 21-year-old Max Buechler has taken that concept and turned it into a successful business with the help of social media. Through his business MB Crafts, Buechler is the owner and designer of all kinds of home decor, but he specializes in custom wreaths. “The wreath is the first thing you see when you get to your home, and it’s like the entryway to your house, so it’s the first thing you see when you get home from work if you’ve had a bad day,” Buechler said. Buechler goes to Lakeshore Technical College in Sheboygan County and takes business classes while also building and selling wreaths for each holiday and season. “I just love the creativity behind it, you can do so many different things," Buechler said. “You go from Christmas, and then you get to Valentine’s, then you go to St. Patrick's and Mardi Gras, and then Easter so you are never doing the same thing every day.” Buechler says depending on the item, the wreaths can cost hundreds of dollars. He said he had some humble beginnings when he first started making the wreaths. “I was at the store one day and I saw the supplies to make a wreath, and it had a little list of everything you needed to buy, so I did, and I came home, and I made my first wreath, Buchler said. "It was absolutely terrible, now that I think about it, but you have to start somewhere.” The 21-year-old sold over 2,000 wreaths in 2024. He says a large portion of his sales come from his online social media platforms, where he connects with his followers 180 thousand followers on Tik Tok. “I use social media to ship 95 percent of my product out of Wisconsin," Buechler said. “I just thought it was so cool, that you could make money off of the stuff that you make.” In recent months, his business has expanded to also sell crafting products. As he sells to people he meets across the world, he hopes others are inspired to open doors for themselves through crafting. "If I wouldn’t have followed this dream, who knows where I would be," Buechler said. “I’ve always made sure that I don’t care how much I get paid, how much I work, as long as I love what I’m doing, it doesn’t feel like I work.” You can discover more of the products Buechler has available here.