Marcela began creating small gifts and crafts in her home in Tampa, Florida, where she lived with her four children.
Marcela wanted to apply her creativity to design unique gifts for others. Over time she realized that she had the ability to create things that would help others celebrate their most precious milestones in life.

She used to make little craft keepsake boxes adorned with rosettes and sell them at her childrens’ schools craft fairs. She received great feedback from the rest of the parents. With an entrepreneurial heart, Marcela was inspired to see if she could sell these on a larger scale by offering them to stores. The living room in her home became the first production space where she would launch her business, Marcela Creations.

- Dora Boggio aka Marcela

"Being a family business really helps us understand the needs of our customers. We’re a family who creates for families."

Marcela and her first employees would all sit around the table and make crafts. The business graduated to an added level above the garage, where she was able to bring on more people to help the business grow. She eventually moved out to a standalone building where she continued to create products for the wedding, home décor and baby markets. Her handmade keepsakes became popular amongst department stores and high-end boutiques across the world. Meanwhile, her first employees and all that had been hired continued to stay by her side. These ladies became close to Marcela and her family throughout the years.

Claudia, her youngest daughter, was 9 when Marcela Creations launched from her living room. She spent many hours after school along with many of the employee’s children helping create little ribbon loops or organizing buttons. It was a family work environment, and it was a big part of Claudia’s childhood.

In time, many of these special ladies decided to retire or wanted to work less to spend time with their grandchildren. Business slowed naturally and Marcela was at pivotal point, having to decide which direction to take Marcela Creations. Claudia was living in New York City working in Digital Marketing but was yearning to return to Florida to start a family. Excited about the opportunity to be a part of the family business, Claudia joined her mother to launch the next phase of Marcela Creations, which is now known as Marcela Gifts. Inspired by joining her mother and wanting to be a mother herself, Claudia and Marcela decided to narrow and focus the brand on childrens’ gifts and apparel of the highest quality.

Marcela’s products are traditional and have become known in a niche market to many families across the world over the past 36 years. Her life's work has been dedicated to creating products that reflect the individuality of the memories surrounding special family moments and provides a quality that those moments deserve. It has now come full-circle and evolved into a family business with the same desire to create something unique and special for people experiencing the most memorable moments of their lives.

Marcela and family continue to be motivated by the reactions and sentiments of their customers. Stories like a grandmother having her 13th grandchild and purchasing another baby book because all of her other grandbabies have one. A 7-year-old girl who loves ballet receiving a handmade ballerina jewelry box, personalized with her name. Every customer has a unique story, and every story deserves to be kept just as uniquely.

Now Marcela gets to share this experience with a part of her own unique story – her youngest daughter. Together, this mother-daughter team will continue crafting the most special personal touches for even more satisfied customers than ever before. At Marcela, it’s not just about creating for families; it’s about being a family that creates for families and that makes all the difference.