Story

My name is Caroline A.K.A. Baby Hands. 

Who am I and what do I do? I’m not 100% certain. My passions in life are ever-evolving, and I can really only tell you with certainty that I like to create things. So that’s what I’m doing.

I do know how I came to be called Baby Hands though, and if you care to know, you can read on..

One summer, back when I was a teenager, my dear friend Forrest and I sat on his living room floor making art. Those summers were filled with a lot of artistic adventures, a lot of laughter, and an insane amount of vulnerability that made our friendship exceptionally special. I remember feeling like I could show up as exactly as myself when I was with Forrest, and I think he felt the same way with me.

Covered in ink, and hypothesizing about the tags we would use if we ever put our art up publicly, Forrest dubbed me as “Baby Hands,” because, “You have very, very small hands...” We laughed about it, and throughout the years as I created art, both legal and non, it was always under the moniker Baby Hands. It became a part of my identity because it was dumb, funny, and it was true. 

When Forrest unexpectedly passed away in 2017, I along with anyone who knows him, could not make sense of how one of the most universally loved, talented, and cherished people could just be gone. The grief was life-altering, and I was left with very little I could hold onto, but I had Baby Hands.

Fast forward to late 2023. I am newly 30, nearly 3 years sober, unemployed, lacking a formal education, and I have just completely uprooted my entire life and moved from NY to North Carolina–solely because the only thing that I am sure of, is that I need to be near the ocean.

After months of looking for work and pleading in over +200 cover letters for someone to let me help build their dream, I decided to say “Fuck that.” and build my own. I revamped my candle-making business, and stumbled into some new passions along the way.
I create eco-friendly soy candles, 1:1 hand painted bleach and dyed clothing, and custom shirts and hoodies usually featuring people’s drift cars. I also collaborate with brides and other businesses to fulfill candle orders for special events. Despite having the dream, I lacked a brand that tied it all together.

Then, on a late night zoom call with my dear friend and graphic designer Gabby, as I dramatically lamented that I didn’t have a sense of identity and therefore a brand, Gabby simply told me, “Dude. You’re Baby Hands. You’ve always been Baby Hands.” And here we are.

15 years ago Forrest branded me as Baby Hands, and I had no idea at the time that it would ever be something that I attempted to use professionally. But the thing that I value most, that Forrest continuously showed me throughout our friendship, was the power of authenticity. He taught me about the freedom that comes from vulnerability, and the beauty of showing up exactly as you are.

I’d like to think that the massive amounts of therapy had a hand in helping me find myself too, but if we’re being honest, I really think that it was the seed that Forrest had planted in my brain as a teenager, all along

So. I’ve arrived. I’m showing up as myself, wholly, with stuff that I made with my comically small hands. I hope my friend would be proud of me, and I hope you like it too. 

If you want to connect with me directly about events, custom orders, collaborations, sobriety, or literally anything, you can shoot me an email at caroline@iambabyhands.com. I’m always down for a chat, and look forward to whatever it is we’re going to chat about.  

             Baby Hands 
             A.K.A.