We are a small business made up of a pair of silly sisters, Olivia & Chelsea, with the passion to bring cute crafts, gifts and creative workshops to East Maitland.

We aren’t new to the game of cute things, after years of being obsessed with colour, crafts, fashion and gifting of the best presents, we have decided to add to our corner of the world. Soybean is a space that emulates our interests and aesthetic, with the goal of making it more accessible to our local community.

Chelsea is known for her love of crochet, creating cute hats, blankets, toys and much more, her skills aren’t limited to just crocheting, as she loves to craft, making zines and designing characters. Another skill that has been a blessing to this duo, is Chelsea’s ability to find and recycle materials from op-shops, she is truely a treasure hunter. Though she is a creative, she is currently studying criminology, so if you don’t want to talk crafts ask her what she has been learning, I’m sure she will enlighten you.

Olivia has skills but doesn’t wish to discuss them right now, instead she would like to show you a cute dress she bought from a small Australian business or some obscure knick-knack that she discovered online. Though she can sew and pattern-make, along with many a crafty activity, Olivia has put down her tools in recent years to stop consuming more than she needs, instead focusing on mending. She is a big believer in sharing what you have, rather than hoarding and will talk your ear off about the importance of physical media and community. She knows many an artist who inspire her and will point you in their direction. Something she is wholeheartedly passionate about is reading and at soybean she will suggest many a book from her little soybean library, just be warned her favourite genre is dystopian fiction.

Why soybean? well its kind of a long story, but I promise it makes sense.

We hope we have made you intrigued and we look forward to you visiting next time you find yourself in East Maitland.

- soybean.