Valkyrie Made

Clare Scott turned one favor, a single T-shirt for her personal trainer, into Valkyrie Made, a custom printing, embroidery and engraving shop west of Wimberley.

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9/25/20263 min read

By Bonnie Eissler

Serendipity is by definition “a happy accident,” and there are certainly some serendipitous aspects to Clare Scott’s career trajectory, from studying equestrian business management in New York State to running her own custom printing shop in rural Central Texas.

It was serendipity that put Clare on a creative path after she designed a T-shirt for her personal trainer who was struggling to find a company that would print just one or two T-shirts. (Most companies have a minimum order of 25 or 30.)

Wanting to help, Clare said she thought she could “figure it out,” and she did. She came up with a design that both she and her trainer liked. Another trainer saw the shirt, also liked it and asked if she could make more. In the process of “figuring it out,” Clare discovered her hidden talent for design. Figuring something out isn’t simply solving a problem; it’s allowing creativity and imagination to flow.

When co-workers and friends ask you to do the same specific task, this is a good indicator that you’re on the right track and they appreciate and see value in what you’re doing. One custom designed T-shirt led to another, then another, and pretty soon she had a portfolio.

This marked the beginning of a new career for Clare. Thanks to her husband’s encouragement and his no-nonsense advice that she do this for money, rather than as a favor or out of the kindness of her heart, in 2022 they bought 11 acres a few miles west of Wimberley and set up shop.

Valkyrie Made offers screen printing, direct-to-film and vinyl transfers, embroidery and laser engraving. At first, she printed mostly T-shirts, sweatshirts and hats, but has since branched out and now prints logos and other custom designs on banners and signs, mugs and tumblers, stickers, koozies, pens, bags and miscellaneous swag.

Customers have many options when selecting products to print. “I buy shirts from different wholesalers such as Nike, Oakley and Burlebo, which is an outdoor lifestyle brand from Austin that’s popular in this area.” Bella+Canvas combed and ring-spun cotton is ultra soft with a smooth surface that’s perfect for embroidery, screen prints and transfers, and there are a whopping 81 different colors to choose from.

Word-of-mouth recommendations keep Clare busy stitching, printing and engraving, and her excellent workmanship is a testament to her skill and attention to detail. Benco Provision, McLean Services, 7A Ranch and King Feed have all worked with her to create distinctive logos and merchandise for their businesses.

Fostering relationships with locals is what Clare enjoys most. She loves connecting with people and genuinely cares about what they think and feel. She cares about their companies and she wants them to be pleased. “I want them to see their vision in the finished product,” she says, “and if for some reason they don’t, I want to figure out together what will make it work.”

Her future goals are to have a storefront on the Wimberley Square and a T-shirt bar with ready-to-go prints, so people can choose what they want for their own custom-made shirts.

“I’m very ambitious,” she says.

In early November, Clare will set up some of her Valkyrie Made merch in a booth at the Austin Celtic Festival, while tapping into her Nordic and Viking ancestral roots dressed as Merida, the free-spirited protagonist from the 2012 Pixar film Brave.

Merida is known for her wild curly red hair, archery and sword fighting skills, and for racing across the rugged Scottish Highlands on her Clydesdale horse. Taking festival attire to new heights, Clare will attend the festival alongside Hercules, her Gypsy Clydesdale.

FYI • Go to valkyriemade.com to shop for in-house apparel and gifts and for information about custom orders. The shop is open Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm. Call 512-866-2250 or email admin@valkyriemade.com.