From Trauma to Handmade Triumph: The Story Behind Winter Moon Gifts

Hey there, I’m Jessie — the one-woman powerhouse behind Winter Moon Gifts, a small batch, handmade candle and metal art business born from trauma, healing, and a whole lot of grit. If you asked anyone who knows me, they’d probably say I’m equal parts relentless creator and soft-hearted dreamer.

I didn’t set out to become a small business owner. I didn’t plan this. But in 2020, after a series of heartbreaks and life-shaking events, I found myself standing in the rubble of what used to be my life — and decided to build something meaningful from the ashes.

I made my first pieces of wire-wrapped jewelry back in 2018 as bridal party gifts. At the time, I was a full-time bookkeeper, full-time mom, and about to marry the man of my dreams. Around then, my daughter was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. Life was chaotic. Jewelry became a creative outlet — a way to manage the stress and stay grounded.

By early 2020, a deeply personal trauma (unrelated to the pandemic) led to me losing my bookkeeping career in a shocking and painful way. But I still had my handmade jewelry stock, and a spark of purpose. So I thought, Why not try selling at a farmers market? That summer, I brought my work to my first market — and to my surprise, it was a hit.

That spark turned into dreams. My daughter loved helping me set up. We’d talk about opening a brick-and-mortar someday — a space filled with handmade goods, intention, and heart.

Then everything changed.

In October of 2020, my daughter passed away in a tragic car accident. I thought I had already hit rock bottom before. I was wrong. I lost my child. I lost my creative spark. I. Was. Broken.

But something inside me whispered: Don’t give up on what you started.

And strangely enough, it was candles that found me. I’ve always loved good smells — candles, perfumes, even car fresheners. One day, I thought: Well, I LOVE candles. How hard could it be to start making them?

So I enrolled in YouTube University (as one does), and started learning. Then I started making. Then I brought my first batch to a market — and they sold like crazy.

I didn’t realize it then, but creating artisan candles was helping me heal. I didn’t want to market them as “aromatherapy candles” or candles that scream “I’m not okay, but this will fix me.” I just wanted to feel normal. I wanted a scent that quietly said, You’re safe. You’re okay. Breathe.

And the more I made, the more I realized I was creating that exact feeling — not just for me, but for others who were also grieving, anxious, overwhelmed, or quietly healing.

Around the same time, my husband and I started talking about how cool it would be to have a CNC plasma machine. (Because obviously, when life throws you chaos, you buy high-powered metal-cutting equipment.) That led to powder coating, and then… I discovered those color-shifting finishes. That kinetic, almost meditative quality of the wind spinners felt magical. And peaceful. Even healing.