Inspired by her daughter Poppy, Claire Anderson began creating gifts for her, then for friends and their babies, which led to the launch of The Poppy Patch. Whether you’re searching for a unique, handmade gift, or gorgeous nursery decor, all their pieces are made to order and they welcome custom requests, doing everything they can to bring your fabulous ideas to life. Here Claire talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the launch of The Poppy Patch, the personal challenges she has overcome, and the pros and cons of running her own business.
The passion: what inspired you to set up your business?
I’m the least creative person on the planet so inspiration is yet to appear! Honestly, I was inspired by my daughter to make gifts and keepsakes that were made by a mama. I started creating things for Poppy, which led to making gifts for friends and their babies. I can’t really pinpoint the ‘lightbulb’ moment – it all evolved over a period of about six months.
The launch: how did you start out in the beginning?
I started scrapbooking as a way to cope with the darkness of PND. I found the process very therapeutic. I have always loved photography and – like most of us – have thousands of photos on my phone. Having them printed and arranged in a scrapbook brought me a lot of joy, which led to making some as gifts for friends. One day, while scrolling aimlessly through Instagram, I saw these gorgeous wooden gifts and thought that’s something I would love to do too. Our house is now a museum displaying the evolution of my collection!
The innovation: what was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
When I launched my nursery décor collection, I finally started to see things starting to build. It’s a very saturated market but the customers are extremely loyal. I have a group who order regularly, both for their own family and for others, and these ladies have become friends for life. They have made me see the value and beauty in what I make and honestly, that was the biggest breakthrough for me personally.
Yin and yang: how do you balance work and family?
I have worked in sales my whole life, so I’ve always had a very strong work ethic. I was made redundant during the pandemic and that drive to succeed hasn’t left me. Starting The Poppy Patch when Poppy was so young was hard. It still is. I don’t have an off switch, so I found myself staying up half the night working on ideas and then spending most of the day tinkering with painting techniques, for example. Recently, I have come to realise that I have a good base in my collection and don’t have the time, energy, money or need to keep finding products to get noticed. Poppy is now three and starts nursery in September. There will be plenty of time for me to innovate further then. For now, I just want to enjoy her being little!
