How It All Started

The idea for my business began from a very personal place. In many ways, it started with a selfish dream—I simply wanted to build something that was truly my own.

Growing up, my family operated a small business. Although we managed the store, paid all the expenses, handled the maintenance, and ran the day-to-day operations, the business permit was registered under the owner of the space we rented. We agreed to that arrangement because it allowed us to continue operating, but deep inside, I knew we needed something we could truly call ours. Without owning the business ourselves, I felt there was little room for long-term growth.

That realization pushed me to look for another path.

I began asking myself what kind of business I could build. Since cooking was never my strength, I turned to something I genuinely enjoyed—crochet and knitting. My original idea was simple: create and sell knitting and crochet patterns online as a source of passive income.

Life, however, had other plans.

After my father's passing, everything changed. It was a complete turning point for our family. During that difficult time, I realized I needed to move forward—not only for myself, but especially for my mother. I wanted to give her a new outlook, a fresh beginning, and at the same time improve the systems and priorities of our family business.

At that point, I had no formal business knowledge. My solution was to join free entrepreneurship programs offered by the Philippine government. Through these programs, I learned the fundamentals of running a business while working toward two goals: strengthening our family business and building my own creative brand.

Our family business continues to serve the community through a small variety store that offers household plastics, refreshing drinks (palamig), siomai, pre-order bilao pancit, home-cooked meals, and lugaw.

Meanwhile, my own business focuses on handmade crochet and knitted creations.

One of my earliest product ideas was a reversible knitted bra pattern that I hoped to sell digitally. Since I was still a beginner, I knew I first had to build credibility. I started creating amigurumi, accepting commission projects, and improving my skills to establish a trustworthy portfolio before offering digital patterns as passive-income products.

As I continued creating, something unexpected caught my attention.

Every day, I noticed the clean plastic packaging that our family business discarded. Instead of seeing waste, I began wondering whether these materials could become part of my creative business.

That question sparked a completely new direction.

I asked myself what kind of product could naturally complement my crochet and knitting patterns. The answer was earrings.

Around the same time, I discovered the Japanese philosophy of Wabi-Sabi—the beauty found in imperfection, simplicity, and the passage of time. I also became fascinated with the art of origami, where ordinary materials are transformed through thoughtful folding into something meaningful.

As these ideas came together, I began experimenting with ways to turn discarded plastic packaging into handcrafted earrings through folding techniques inspired by origami. It was during the Holy Week season that I found even more inspiration while observing the traditional palaspas, intricately folded palm leaves prepared for Palm Sunday. Their craftsmanship reminded me that simple materials, when shaped with patience and intention, can become something beautiful and full of meaning.

Today, my business brings together everything that has shaped my journey: handmade craftsmanship, sustainability, continuous learning, and creativity. Every crochet stitch, knitted piece, and upcycled earring tells the story of resilience, resourcefulness, and the belief that beauty can be created from even the simplest beginnings.

What started as a desire to build something of my own has grown into a mission—to create meaningful handmade products, reduce waste through thoughtful design, and inspire others to see possibilities where others see ordinary materials.