The Way We Tell Stories Matters
Progressive Pegs Shop started in 2015 when I looked around and realized that the thing I really wanted and was hunting for just simply...didn't exist!
I had very young children and was looking forward to celebrating the holidays with them. They were the age to start to be able to follow and understand the Christmas story, and I was looking for a nativity set for our family that met certain requirements:
•It needed to be relatively sturdy. (I know my children, any delicate pieces would never last long.)
•It needed to be fun and approachable for kids.
•It needed to include more historically accurate colors than classic western nativity sets (almost every one I saw had blonde haired, blue eyed characters, etc.)
It turns out: that was impossible. At the time, I searched and searched. I went to store after store. I Googled. I searched Etsy. I searched Amazon. I asked my friends. There was just...nothing. I couldn't believe it!
That year I gathered my craft supplies and brainstormed some designs and made a set for my own family that was everything I needed. Unbreakable wood. Fun and safe to play with. And inclusive of a variety of skin tones, genders and abilities!
When I shared my creation on social media, I quickly realized I wasn't alone in my desire for such a nativity scene. I made about a dozen orders for friends that year, and learned a lot. In 2016 I opened this Etsy shop, and the rest is history!
Since then, Progressive Pegs nativity sets have travelled to new homes all over the USA and across the globe. Each wood person and animal is hand-painted by me, in my home workshop. I've expanded my shop as requests for special characters and animals poured in. Creating new things feeds my creative soul, so if you ever have an idea, or a request for something custom, please send me a message! I would love to collaborate on something just for you.
I've loved every minute of this journey, putting something I created out into the world. One small something that was missing, but sorely needed. Something to help us tell the stories that are worth telling, in a way that includes everyone.
Thank you for visiting Progressive Pegs Shop. Please look around and let me know how I can help you make a nativity set that will be enjoyed in your family for years to come!