LOCAL SPOTLIGHT: Beachfront Baby Wraps, formerly Water Wrap Carriers.com, are the brain child of Diane Turner, a WAHM living on the outskirts of San Antonio, Texas. Not only are these affordable and functional water wraps made in the USA, they are made locally by Diane and other local WAHMs who assist her with making each "made to order" wrap for specialty retailers and customers. Each wrap is made from 100% Polyester Jersey fabric that has a 2 way stretch making it perfect for use in and out of the water. I had the opportunity to try out one of the wraps during a beach trip last summer when my little boy was 10 months old. Let me just say these wraps are a life saver. I have no idea what we were thinking bringing so much stuff to the beach but it was really nice having my hands free to help carry bags. The carrier kept my my son safe and secure both on the beach and in the water during the busy Memorial Day Holiday. Another plus is it dries REALLY fast so you don’t have to worry about dealing with 15 ft. of wet fabric once you get back to your car or inside your home. And don’t let the name fool you. Not only can Beachfront Baby Wraps be used to wear your baby in the shower, at the beach, at the water-park or in the pool, you can also use them as an everyday sport wrap since they support babies from birth to approximately 30 pounds and are highly breathable in scorching South Texas summers. A busy mama’s saving grace!
I was curious how Diane got started making these awesome wraps so recently I visited her home/workshop to learn a little more about her business.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I'm a happy mom of 4 wonderful children. I have been a babywearing momma since the birth of my oldest daughter in 2000, however, I didn't learn about all the wonderful benefits and carrier options until the birth of my 3rd child in 2006. While I cut and sew most days, my children teach themselves and each other in our unschooling family. We live in the country surrounded by beautiful old oak trees which help to keep our family cool along with our 2 dogs, 6 cats, 2 rabbits, a flock of chickens and occasionally, our 5 goats that we share with my in-laws. My husband is a fire fighter and a dedicated husband and gardener who grows as much food for our family as he can. I also pursue photography as a hobby. I mostly take pictures of my children, but I also enjoy taking all my own product photos. All the product photos you see on my website and Etsy shop are local moms and dads that I photographed myself.
What got you interested in creating and sewing these wraps?
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Cutting table where 15 ft. of fabric is cut to make the wraps.
This purple color will be available soon. Isn’t it stunning? |
I come from a family of sewers. Both my parents sew and taught both my sister and I how to sew when we were young. My paternal grandparents owned a Singer Store in Nebraska. My Dad grew up in the store and not only did he learn how to sew there, he also learned the ins and outs of sewing machines. He later became a sewing machine repairman and still fixes machines to this day.
In other words, it’s in the blood! Right, Diane?
How did you come up with the idea for the Beachfront Baby Wrap?
My water wraps were born of necessity in 2009 when my youngest child was 2 months old and we spent every hot summer afternoon in the pool. I couldn't swim with my 3 other children because I needed both hands to hold my baby in the water. I found myself really missing my Moby Wrap! That’s when I had the idea to make a wrap to use in the water. After finding the right fabric, I knew other mothers needed these wraps too so in 2010, I decided to sell them under my former business, Go, Baby, Go! At that time, my mom made the wraps under my specifications while I ran the business and cared for my 4 children.
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| The momma behind Beachfront Baby Wraps. |
Has the business grown a lot since you sold your first wrap in 2010?
Has it ever! In January of 2011, I sold Go, Baby, Go! to a friend and opened my Etsy shop. A few months later I created my website under the name WaterWrapCarriers.com. I now have fifteen retailers total, thirteen in the USA including Go, Baby, Go! and one in Mexico, New Zealand, and Dubai! I’ve gone from offering a one-size wrap that fits most adults up to approximately 5’10” and/or 200 lbs. to offering a petite and extra long size as well. My newest products include a custom wrap in your choice of color with contrast serging and a “no wrap” water carrier. Since the name Water Wrap Carriers is more of a description and not really patentable, in September of 2012 I changed the name of my business to Beachfront Baby, LLC so my wraps are now referred to as Beachfront Baby Wraps.
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View of Diane’s workspace. Notice the bolts of shiny fabric
in gorgeous colors just waiting to become a BFB wrap. |
Tell us about your workshop.
It’s a work in progress. I moved my business from inside my house to a workshop my husband built for me above our garage earlier this year. It still has a way to go before it’s completely finished since my husband works on it in between his busy schedule as a fire fighter, husband, and father. This past July, he added air conditioning for which I was eternally grateful. Prior to having A/C, my work space was truly a “sweat shop”! Now I have a space large enough to accommodate my growing business. Everything from cutting to shipping can now be done in one place and I don’t even have to drive to get there!
Now that’s what I call efficiency!!
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| Diane had a temp worker helping out the day I visited! |
In celebration of International Babywearing Week, Beachfront Baby Wraps is giving away one of their amazing water wraps in the winners choice of size and color. From now thru Saturday, October 13th, buy any baby carrier from Go, Baby, Go! and receive a $10 store credit on your next order (no code necessary) so if you would like to buy one of these wraps, you can find them here. I hope you have enjoyed getting to know this local momma and her business. Thank you for taking the time to read this article. --Gina
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