Turning Trauma into Joy

Welcome to Made By Mocha: where an artist drinks mochas and crochets for mental health - hers and her customers.

Stuffies are mental health tools.

Infants, teens, and adults all need the same things throughout life - food, shelter, sleep, clothing, comfort and play. All of these give a sense of safety and help regulate our nervous systems.

It's Science!

Stuffed animals have been shown to alleviate stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, and grief.

Holding a stuffed animal lowers cortisol levels and releases oxytocin. This means that holding or interacting with a comforting item physically makes us happier and more stress-tolerant.

Ok, I get it. But, I can get stuffies anywhere, why buy yours?

Because mine handles life along with you. Unlike the Velveteen Rabbit, when my stuffies become real and are loved by a sick human, they don't need to be thrown away. Put them in a delicates bag and toss them in the washing machine.

Dropped from a stroller, thrown into a pond, vomited on? Washing machine. Dryer. Love. My work is stuffed full to bursting so the filling lasts longer before becoming lumpy, with embroidered eyes that won't break off or be a choking hazard, and yarn and stuffing chosen specifically for machine wash/dry.

Fast-and-cheap crochet doesn't do this. Large-brand plushie companies don't do this. You buy a stuffie from them- made to fall apart so you purchase more; you buy the stuffie from me - made to last.

<3 Sarah "Mocha" Valencia, she/her/hers

Chief Everything Officer