Our Story

JJ Dolle began in January of 2020 — not as a business plan, but as a lifeline.

After a fall from a ladder, I was left partially immobile and in need of knee surgery. Because it was the height of COVID, “non-essential” surgeries were postponed, and mine was considered non-critical. I had to wait until May for the procedure I needed. During that time, I couldn’t move much. I couldn’t walk long distances. Life slowed down in a way I hadn’t chosen, and suddenly I had more time than I knew what to do with.

Before the accident, I had been making macramé earrings out of leather cording. But the cost of materials was adding up, and I felt a pull to try something different — something unique, something no one else was making. I’ve always loved bold, one-of-a-kind earrings, and in the middle of that difficult season, I challenged myself: What could I find at a thrift store that I could turn into something beautiful?

I walked every aisle — more than once — searching for materials. And then I noticed the tins. Shelves full of vintage tins in every pattern, color, and design imaginable. There were so many of them. I remember thinking, I would never run out of material. I fell in love with the nostalgic artwork, the typography, the history in each piece. And when I realized how lightweight tin was, I had another thought: I could create large statement earrings without the heaviness.

So I bought a few tins and went home determined to figure it out.

Regular scissors wouldn’t cut through the metal, so I went to Lowe’s and walked up and down the aisles until I found snips designed for cutting tin siding and roofing. I grabbed sandpaper to smooth the edges and started experimenting. Over time, I discovered better tools — like a rotary tool — and more efficient techniques. What started as trial and error slowly became a craft.

What began as a way to protect my mental health during a season of forced stillness turned into something I completely fell in love with.

By mid-2020, I realized this was more than just a creative outlet. I quietly opened an online shop and began sharing my work. A couple of years later, I stepped into in-person markets, bringing these repurposed pieces out into the world face-to-face.

JJ Dolle — named after me, Joanna June Dolle — was born out of limitation, but it grew from resilience, creativity, and a deep love for turning overlooked things into something beautiful again.