Aussie Mum Mel Haque is taking the children’s craft industry by storm with her award-winning product, Wild Dough. What started as a simple way to entertain her toddler and nail the best playdough recipe at home has turned into a multimillion-dollar business, with Wild Dough quickly becoming Australia’s number one playdough brand.
“When my second born Harvey came along, he literally wouldn’t get out of my arms. I was on maternity leave, and I was at home with my toddler Ruby, but I felt like I had to spend all my time with my newborn,” Mel said.
“Ruby, like most two-year-olds, loved playdough. It gave me an extra set of hands, and it became a bit of a fail-safe for us. But over time, the commercial playdough became tough and dried out, and Ruby ended up needing help to roll it out, which defeated the purpose of it being an independent play activity.”
One day, during the chaos of motherhood and deep in the trenches, Mel opened the cupboard to pull out the playdough, and it had dried out.
At her wit’s end, she googled ‘Best playdough recipe’ and made some from scratch. Little did she know that moment would be the catalyst for a business that would quickly go global.
“After trying a standard recipe, I thought I could try and make a dough that was even better. Something softer and longer lasting. I ended up coming up with my own recipe just for us at home, and I ended up with this beautiful dough that Ruby could use herself,” Mel said.
“I never planned to start a business, but I knew I had created a game-changing product, and I had this pull to help other parents have a hot cuppa and take a breath because this playdough literally changed my life.”
Wild Dough playdough lasts for six months and can be rehydrated
While traditional playdough can be firm and dry out quickly, Wild Dough is famous for its uniquely soft texture and long-lasting properties. It lasts for six months and can be easily rehydrated if it becomes a little dry. It also comes in a range of colours, glitters and scents adding to the sensory experience.
Using her children as her inspiration, Mel launched Wild Dough in late 2018, and within a year, the business had made six figures.
Unable to keep up with the demand, Mel hired staff and moved into a warehouse, then a larger warehouse, and today the business makes up to 1.8 tonnes of Wild Dough a day.
Wild Dough launched in the United States and has won numerous awards, including Gold in the Roar Awards, the Ausmumpreneur Awards, the SHE-com Awards and Silver in the Mums Choice Awards (to name but a few).
For three years in a row, Wild Dough has been selected to be included in the Victorian Government’s 3-year-old Kinder Kits and has reached more than 300,000 happy families.
“We are on our way to reaching three million by the end of 2024 and are still growing rapidly,” Mel said.
Mel has also recently launched a DIY Playdough Recipe Mix – essentially a packet mix for Wild Dough – which has proven to be wildly popular.
“My dream is to have a packet of Wild Dough DIY Playdough Recipe Mix in every grandparent’s pantry because it is just such a wonderful way to connect with the grandkids, experience that nostalgia, make the dough and then play with it together.”
Wild Dough Playdough Mix – just add water!
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