Meg Hawkins: From Brushstrokes to Brand Success

Meg Hawkins is the founder behind a thriving homeware and giftware brand. What began with a passion for hand-painted illustrations has evolved into an international name, recognized for its quality, character, and practical elegance. By diversifying sales channels alongside her creative work, Meg positioned her brand for sustainable growth.

Handcrafted Designs That Fit Everyday Life

Every Meg Hawkins product begins the same way—with a brushstroke. Meg’s signature is her hand-painted artwork, bringing character and charm to everything from greeting cards to mugs and coasters.

“I scan my paintings in and we put them on product. From sketch to final product, everything is created in-house,” Meg explains.

From vibrant animal illustrations to calming coastal scenes, her collections are created with one goal: to create beautiful, practical items that people actually use and love. Meg Hawkins’ brand is built around creating products that are not only beautiful, but genuinely useful. Each collection brings together charming, hand-painted artwork with everyday practicality. From mugs and coasters to notebooks and kitchen textiles, every item is designed to be part of daily life—something people will reach for, enjoy, and gift with intention.

From Art to Giftware

Before becoming a household name in the giftware space, Meg Hawkins was focused on illustrating and self-publishing children’s books. Her hand-painted style brought stories to life, and she successfully released over 20 titles. But as her creative work expanded, she found herself also painting animals and nature scenes that appealed to a broader audience.

It was a conversation with professionals in the giftware industry that became a turning point. They advised her to focus and define her brand identity—choosing a clear artistic direction and a target audience. That insight led Meg to shift from children’s illustrations to a more adult, design-led approach, better suited to home and lifestyle products. From there, her artwork began appearing on cards, mugs, coasters, and other everyday items, transforming the brand into what it is today: a distinctive, creative force in the giftware market. 

Personal Touches That Matter

Even as the brand has grown, Meg has remained committed to the personal details that make customers feel seen. Each order is carefully wrapped, often including a handwritten thank-you card—small gestures that leave a lasting impression. The team is also currently working on offering personalised products, with new equipment in place to make that possible in the near future. Whether online or in-person at shows, Meg ensures the experience feels warm, thoughtful, and truly personal.

"Because we live in a world that's so mass-produced, that little personal touch is always massively important."

A Flexible, Omnichannel Brand

While her creative work is at the heart of the brand, Meg quickly realized that success required more than beautiful designs. She consciously built a multi-channel business model, combining direct-to-consumer sales (via her own e-commerce site and platforms like Etsy), wholesale relationships, distribution partnerships, and licensing deals that expanded her product reach into new categories and territories.

Her philosophy? "Never put all your eggs in one basket."

By diversifying sales channels, Meg protected her business against changing market conditions — a lesson that proved invaluable during events like the pandemic and global supply chain disruptions. Her success is largely built on understanding how and where her art resonates — and adjusting her channels accordingly. The ability to license products while also creating her own collections in-house has given her both creative control and commercial reach.

A key lesson? Try everything but not all at once. Pick a channel, commit to it, and give it the time it deserves.

What’s Next?

What began with a love for art has evolved into a thriving, multi-channel brand with hundreds of SKUs and global reach. Through constant experimentation, strategic partnerships, and a deep understanding of her audience, Meg has grown the business organically—balancing creativity with commercial insight.

From local markets to licensing deals and international distribution, the brand’s growth has been driven by curiosity, resilience, and a genuine passion for creating meaningful products. Meg’s brand is now sold in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and even South Georgia. With her eye on Europe and a new garden-party-inspired collection rolling out, there’s plenty more to come. So what’s her biggest lesson?

"Communication is key on everything, whoever you're talking to. Whether that's your customer, whether that's your retailer, distributor, your licensee, if you don't talk, nobody knows what you're talking about. Nobody knows how to do the next thing."

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To learn more about Meg Hawkins’ story or to explore their full product range visit their website at https://www.meghawkins.com/.