Orlando college student creates and sells her own Disney ear headbands

When Aixangela Caballero took her annual birthday trip to Disney in 2017, she realized that the magical wonders of Disney come with a price. Now Caballero, a 20-year-old sophomore at the University of Central Florida, creates and sells her own Disney-themed ear headbands.

Caballero remembers seeing a pair of bedazzled purple Minnie Mouse ears on a headband sitting daintily on a form in a store at Disney. She says her heart sank in disappointment when she saw how expensive they were.

Her handmade Disney ear headbands run from $17-$20. She sells them at local markets and on Instagram.

“I think that it’s cool that I can offer something different that makes people feel more connected to their idea of what Disney is or should be,” Caballero says.

Caballero says that the headbands usually take her about 45 minutes to make out of cardboard, wire, colored fabric and tiny embellishments such as beads or flowers. The most intricate headband Caballero has designed was a “flower queen” design. She says she had to attach each flower and pearl individually.

Caballero says she has made custom designs for Disney movies such as Winnie the Pooh, Pocahontas, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, even Star Wars.

Although Disney is notoriously protective of their intellectual property, ear headbands have become a popular category on both Etsy and Instagram, seemingly without repercussion. Caballero sold about 18 pairs of ears at her first vendor event in May at the Faith Assembly Church in Orlando.

She hopes the business takes off and can become more than just a hobby for her.

“I know that people appreciate hard work and I want to express that through my art,” Caballero says. “I believe my ears represent that if you can dream it, then you can make it.”

Check out more of Caballero’s work on Instagram.

This article appears in May 15-21, 2019.