How I Make an Income From Home by Playing With My Children (While Keeping Them Off the Internet)
When people ask what I do for work, the answer is pretty simple.
I design sewing and knitting patterns. (and run this blog)
But the real answer is a little more complicated than that.
A surprising amount of my work involves sitting on the floor with my children, telling stories though teddies and puppets, packing tiny suitcases, tucking little mice into bed, and watching handmade toys become part of everyday childhood.
Believe it or not…
That’s one of the most important parts of my job.
Building a Business Around Childhood
When I first began designing sewing patterns, my goal wasn’t simply to create something people would enjoy making.
I wanted to create toys that children would actually love.
There’s a difference.
It’s easy to design something that’s cute sitting on a shelf.
It’s much harder to design something that gets carried around the house every day, packed into backpacks, cuddled at bedtime, and loved through years of imaginative play.
That’s where my children come in.
They’ve become the very best product testers I could ever ask for.
I watch them play.
I play with them.
I ask them what THEY want me to make them.
I listen, and I write down notes of what they say.
They’ve become so quick and eager to tell me just what they want me to make them next.
I should probably rely more on SEO (search engine optimization research) to choose what patterns to make. That’s the “professional” advice.
But I like this way better. I want to make what I know will become loved.
I wanted this business to fit into our lives together as a family.
The Best Pattern Testers
Whenever I finish a new design, I don’t immediately list it in my shop or post it for free on my blog.
First, it becomes part of our home.
The teddy bears go on adventures.
The little mice move into dollhouses.
The dolls are dressed, and rocked, and shushed.
The tiny blankets become picnic quilts.
I watch them play.
I never want to direct the play. I want to follow it.
Do little hands find it easy to hold?
Does the toy fit naturally into their games?
Are there little details that need to be stronger?
Would another pocket, handle, or accessory make it even more enjoyable?
Do they quickly lose interest, or is it something that they give a special spot in their room?
Children notice things that adults never would. They are my most valuable critics.
Some of my favorite design improvements have come simply from watching my children play.
Play Is Research
Most businesses conduct market research.
Mine looks a little different.
It looks like dolls tucked into beds.
It looks like tiny tea parties.
It looks like “window shopping” different toy companies online with my children next to me and asking them what they like the best.
It looks like rescuing stuffed animals that were left outside in the rain. (which happens quite a bit around here)
The more I watch my children play, the more I understand what makes a toy truly special.
Children don’t care if something is trendy. (although, some of the “trends” do have it “right”)
They care whether it sparks their imagination.
Whether it feels comforting.
Whether it becomes part of a story.
That’s exactly what I hope my patterns help other families create.
Why You’ll Never See My Children Online
One question I receive from time to time is why I don’t share photos or videos of my children online. (well, honestly, mostly I just receive comments of people who appreciate that I don’t)
But anyway, the answer is simple.
Their childhood belongs to them.
While I enjoy sharing our homesteading projects, sewing patterns, recipes, and thoughts on simple living, I’ve never wanted my children to become part of my business.
There are so many wonderful moments that happen within our family that are meant only for us.
Not every memory needs an audience.
Not every milestone needs to become content.
I want my children to have the freedom to grow up without wondering who might be watching.
Protecting Their Privacy Has Made Me More Creative
Ironically, choosing not to share my children has made my work better.
Instead of pointing a camera at them, I focus on what they’re creating.
The toys they’re playing with.
The stories they’re inventing.
The gardens we’re planting.
The little things that make up a meaningful childhood.
Rather than asking, “How can I share my children?”
I ask, “How can I create something that helps other families make memories of their own?”
That question has shaped almost everything I make.
My favorite thing has been hearing about how other families have appreciated my patterns and shared their own creativity with the people they love.
A Business That Fits Our Family
One of the greatest blessings of designing sewing and knitting patterns is that the work fits naturally into our life.
The toys I design become part of our afternoons.
The bread I bake becomes dinner.
The gardens I plant become lessons for curious little hands.
Very little of it feels separate.
Instead of building our family around my work, I’ve tried to build my work around our family.
That doesn’t mean every day is perfectly balanced. Believe me, it’s not. Especially when I was in the very beginning of building this business up. The hours were oh-so long back then.
Running a business still takes time, discipline, and plenty of hard work.
But it also means that some of my most productive hours don’t look productive at all.
Sometimes they look like sitting on the living room floor while a tiny handmade mouse goes on another grand adventure.
Success Looks Different Here
When people talk about building an online business, success is often measured in followers, views, or viral videos.
I’ve come to measure it differently.
Success is designing work I’m proud of. And I know which patterns I love the most, and which patterns I haven’t loved as much but have shared anyway. (because someone might enjoy them for their own family, even though they weren’t the best fit for ours)
I want to create patterns that encourage imagination and relationships.
Building a business that supports our family without asking my children to become part of the product.
Most importantly, it’s knowing that years from now, my children will remember the hours we spent creating together—not the hours spent performing for a camera.
Final Thoughts
People often ask how I make an income from home.
The practical answer is simple.
I design sewing and knitting patterns.
But underneath that is something much more meaningful.
I spend my days creating toys inspired by the children who use them most.
I built a business around imagination, creativity, and the quiet (and still private) moments of family life.
The toys eventually find their way into my shop/on my blog.
The patterns are shared with families around the world.
But the memories we make together?
Those belong to us.
And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
If you’d like to hear more about the nitty-gritty about how I make an income with my blog and patterns, please let me know in the comments below so I know to make a blog post on that next!
