46 Growing with confidence With products stocked by more than 600 retailers worldwide, two published books and appearances on the BBC, Hawthorn Handmade has come a long way. Founder, Stephanie Carswell, reflects on the milestones, the challenges and the opportunities that lie ahead. You launched Hawthorn Handmade in 2013 — what made you believe there was room in the market for modern craft kits at that time? When I launched Hawthorn Handmade in 2013, the craft kit market was much smaller than it is today. There were some fantastic traditional kits available, but I felt there was an opportunity to create products that combined contemporary design with genuinely beginner-friendly instructions and high-quality materials. Through teaching workshops and running my gallery business, I met countless people who wanted to be creative but lacked the confidence to get started. I believed there was room for a brand that made crafting accessible while still delivering a premium experience and beautiful finished results. Some of your original designs are still bestsellers more than 10 years later. Why do you think those particular kits have had such lasting appeal? The designs that are still going strong tend to be those rooted in timeless subjects rather than short-term trends. Nature, wildlife and botanicals have always been at the heart of our collections, and those themes continue to resonate strongly with customers looking for a creative outlet. Our original kits helped establish what customers now expect from Hawthorn Handmade, and it’s amazing to see them continue to introduce new people to the joys of crafting 13 years later! How do you keep generating fresh ideas while staying true to the brand’s aesthetic? We’re always looking at emerging trends within the craft industry, retail sector and wider design world, but we filter everything through the lens of what feels authentically ‘Hawthorn Handmade’. Nature remains a huge source of inspiration, as do conversations with stockists and customers. Because we have such a clear understanding of our brand identity, we can evolve and introduce new collections while ensuring designs still feel recognisably part of the brand. Hawthorn Handmade is known for beginner-friendly instructions. How much thought and testing goes into making a craft kit feel approachable rather than intimidating? A huge amount of thought goes into the instructions, because they’re one of the key things that sets a good craft kit apart. We always design them with a complete beginner in mind, so we never assume prior knowledge or skip over the basics. Each kit is broken down into clear, manageable steps with detailed photographs or illustrations, and we constantly look at where a customer might feel unsure or lack confidence. The aim is to make the project feel encouraging rather than overwhelming, while still giving customers a beautiful finished piece they’re proud of. From a trade perspective, that’s really important too, because a positive first experience often leads to repeat purchases. If someone enjoys making their first kit, they’re far more likely to come back for another one, and to recommend it to others. Was there a particular moment when you realised the business had grown beyond a small handmade operation? There wasn’t one single moment, more like many smaller milestones along the way. Building a team was probably the first. Up until then, Hawthorn Handmade was very much a one-person operation, and things really started moving and becoming more like the HH of today at that point. Every time we’ve introduced a new craft, it’s been both a learning curve and a clear step forward for the business. More recently, exhibiting regularly in the US and seeing our products stocked by over 600 retailers across the world has highlighted how much the business has grown. Having opportunities like publishing two books, and appearing on the BBC has also really made me
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