Lincolnshire business “Made With Mud” has gained almost half a million likes on TikTok for its disability-friendly mugs.
Potter Nicola Swann makes her Digni-TEA Mugs from a studio in Heckington, where she makes the mug to fit the customer, with changes like extra handles or flared bases. TikTok account TikTok for Good advertised her business on October 18th, causing the MadeWithMud TikTok to gain 15,000 followers in one week.
Nicola said: “The whole purpose behind it was to allow somebody to be able to drink out of a mug that looked like everybody else’s, rather than having to drink out of what generally look like baby sippy-cups. That’s where the whole Digni-TEA thing came from.”
She began making these mugs a few years ago for someone who had lost strength in his hands and arms. As well as having two handles, the handles were lowered so silicon lids could be put on top.
Nicola said: “TikTok For Good contacted me and asked me if I would be featured on there.
I didn’t expect this amount of attention. I started making these a couple of years ago, but they didn’t seem to be getting in front of the people who needed to see it.
Feedback has been generally positive, but I have a small business on my own, and it’s been quite overwhelming. I went viral on Instagram and TikTok at the same time and I’ve still not caught up with all the messages I’ve received.
I’ve got a lot of really heartwarming messages saying how it’s going to change somebody’s life and give them independence. A lot of messages said they wished my mugs had been around before their loved one had passed.”
Nicola has started a pay it forwards scheme which has raised almost £1,000, and plans to make about 30 pay it forward mugs. She has also employed another local business to help handmake more mugs and make moulds for popular designs.
Nicola said: “At the minute I’m hoping to develop a handle for people with arthritis, and I’m hoping this frees me up to carry on making new things.”