Etsy is a magical place, full of burlap bliss and lacy elation. Any trendy momma or stylish pop can easily lose themselves in the online utopia. These Chicago-based Etsy shops make handmade goods that are more than splurge-worthy.
Bohemian beautiful: The Pine Torch
Mariana Toscas gets millennial moms, and that’s because she is one. With one fingertip on
Instagram at all times, she’s deeply in touch with what it means to be a working momma in today’s world.
The 31-year-old has three sons under age 3, and she wanted a fun-loving, affordable way to show off their unique personalities. Enter The Pine Torch, the brainchild inspired during Toscas’ hours of pumping.
With designs ranging from humorous cacti to Taylor Swift lyrics, her hipster, edgy onesies are an outstandingly fun way to add a little pop culture pizazz to your baby’s bodysuit collection.
And for every 10 onesies purchased, Toscas donates one to a mom having a challenging time. “Being a mom can open so many doors for you,” Toscas says. “If you’re a mom and you’re having fun with it, you’re winning.”
Chi-town chic: Megan Lee Designs
Show your local love, baby-and-me style. A Midwesterner born and raised, Megan Owdom-Weitz is the 36-year-old mom of a 1-year-old baby boy and a Chicagoan who turned her love for the city into a full-time career selling Midwestern pride apparel.
Every true Chicago baby needs at least one shirt to rep their city, right? Owdom-Weitz’s clothing sports catchy phrases such as, “IL love you forever,” “Born to be wILd” and “Chicago love,” all in very familiar shapes.
“Chicago has been the place where people have supported me and my business,” she says. “It’s home.”
Playfully pretty: Crafts and the City
Building blocks are a time-tested favorite, and Crafts and the City has a new twist on the classic toys. The shop’s wooden, non-toxic, customizable building blocks can be used as décor and as toys. “Parents love finding special, one-of-a-kind keepsakes for their kids,” Sarah Watts says.
Watts says she always had a passion for crafty creation, but when she began to have more nieces and nephews than she can count, she fell madly in love with creating long-lasting, beautiful toys.
The 37-year-old loves to think of her gorgeous building blocks, which can feature names, the alphabet, numbers or pretty designs, as heirlooms. “They’re cute enough to just sit in the nursery, fun enough for kids to play with, and nice enough to be passed down from generation to generation,” Watts says.
