Hi, I’m Barbara, the maker behind CraftyBabs, based in Edinburgh. I’m a single mum, a full-time carer, and someone who is considerably more useful after a morning coffee.

CraftyBabs didn’t begin because I was searching for the perfect name sign for my own child. It started for a much more practical reason: I wanted a way to earn some extra income around work and motherhood, using something I’ve always been good at — making things with my hands.

What I didn’t expect was how personal it would start to feel when someone ordered.

When you ask me to make your child’s name, you’re trusting me with something you chose especially for them — and with your money. I still have that little worry while I’m making an order: will they love it when they open it, and will it feel worth what they paid?

That’s also why I keep looking at how I can make each piece better — from the materials I use to the way the joins are stitched and finished.

And although a lovely review always means a lot, the message that gets me most is: “My child loves it.” Children tend to tell you what they actually think. Knowing something I made has made them happy, and now has a place in the room that belongs to them, is hard to beat.

CraftyBabs is for little rooms full of personality — the sweet ones, the wild ones, the daydreamers, the gigglers and the “just one more story” negotiators.