Meet the Maker: How Did Naptime Inspirations Start and Where Did the Name Come From?

I started Naptime Inspirations in 2010, unintentionally. At that time 3 of my 4 daughters were in school and I had a little bit of time during the day to dabble in hobbies. I enjoyed making things that I found in online tutorials but I soon realized that I needed an outlet to “unload” all the things I was making. One day the idea came to me—Why not try a craft show?! This is what prompted me to call myself a business and find a name. I rarely have trouble sleeping but one night I awoke in the middle of the night and could not sleep. I got up and brainstormed some names, Googled them, looked them up on Etsy, and finally settled on Naptime Inspirations because most of my sewing took place during Lily’s nap time. (Lily is now in high school!)

blond woman stands smiling behind her craft table at a craft fair. In front of her are the products she makes: colorful ties, bibs, bags, and wallets.

This is me at my first creatively lancaster maker’s market. It was a fall show and I remember being so impressed with the quality of vendors represented. I was so happy to be part of this show!

Funny—so many repurposed displays! Stick displays that my dad made for me; clementine boxes decorated with scrapbook paper; lip balm stand made out of a cake stand and a candlestick!

Flat layout of a 3 piece baby set: a pink and white chevron heart appliquéd on a  white onesie, a bib with pink, yellow, red, and green whimsical houses and a white burp cloth with a piece of pink chevron fabric sewn down the middle.

Baby sets were one of my first items. I patterned the bib after a favorite bib I used for lily. I vowed not to use velcro closures because babies pull them off and they stick to other laundry.

These wallets were so popular. They hold so much and they are very durable!

My first show was in a church fellowship hall and I think I paid a $25 vendor fee. I know I made less than $100 but I saw the potential. Over the years I refined my product line and honed in on shows that were more profitable. I especially had success with shows in which the vendors were selected by those producing the show. The vendor fees were higher but they drew more buying customers.

collection of baby bibs arrayed in a semi-circle; yellow with giraffes, green woodwork print, orange dots, color bicycles on a cream background, yellow dots, and colorful vintage campers

Bibs are still one of my favorite things to make although I’ve changed the design since these. These fabrics all came from fabricworm.com and I love them!

After a few years of some really encouraging shows, in 2019 I had a down year. I couldn’t explain it because in some of those shows the other vendors were very successful. I was becoming discontented with my business identity (or lack thereof) and wanted to make a change. I had some ideas for what I wanted my “look” to be and I was willing to cut out some products in order to streamline. It was at this time that I sought out a mentor from S.C.O.R.E. As we met, Cathy analyzed all aspects of my business and took my goals into mind, and together we came up with steps to take to reach those goals. One of those steps was for me to take a break from doing shows. This was a bold move because that was where I received most of my sales. Despite that, they were not terribly profitable for me. I wanted to focus my energy into online sales, so we came up with strategies to do that.  Perfect timing (!) because in the spring of 2020 the pandemic hit and all shows were cancelled through the holiday season. I felt a relief knowing that I already made the decision not to rely on that stream of revenue. I also had my website up by then and pivoted to taking online orders for face coverings. They turned into my bread and butter product in 2020 and into 2021.

collection of 4 ID wallets with matching lanyards; black and white birch bark print, yellow, black and gray floral, blue and green daisy-like flowers, aqua, with orange and gray swirls

ID wallets and lanyards are popular teacher gifts. I might need to keep making them as long as Lily is in school!

As I analyzed 2022 I learned that my retail partnerships were the most profitable stream for me. I did a few shows in 2022 but they were mostly disappointing for sales. I want to build my online presence so I am investing in some marketing help for that. I’m also experimenting with some new retail partnerships. When I began back in 2010 I never imagined where I would be in 2023! I’ve learned so much yet I still feel like I’m figuring it out each day. I continue to try new things and hope to get more Naptime Inspirations out into the world!

small tote bag; light blue background with tan and gray llamas and cacti on the fabric. Black and white woven belt handle

Kids’ library tote bags are super fun to make. I made one for myself and use it often when I need a little tote bag.

Enjoy the pictures of products that *used* to define Naptime Inspirations. They are still really fun to make, but I had to say no to some favorites! The discontinued inventory that I have left is available on my Etsy shop.

purple and pink folded wallet with button closure

Tea wallets! These make such a great gift for tea drinkers to carry their favorite teas with them.