Our Story

Little Saps began at my family’s Christmas tree farm in Grassy Creek, North Carolina. Grassy Creek is in Ashe County, a beautiful, rural region in northwest North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains.

My father decided to experiment with raising his own seedlings and transplants. He built a few greenhouses and started raising Christmas trees from seeds. All of a sudden, we were surrounded by baby Christmas trees - something new and different for me.

Perhaps it was the mother in me, but I fell in love with those baby trees!  I couldn't believe that something so tiny had the potential to grow so big. For a brief moment in time, I could hold something so gigantic in the palm of my hand. 

Carrie McClain, Founder of Little Saps

And while I love Christmas trees - the feel, the smell, the tradition - and the joy that real trees bring to holiday celebrations around the world, I love the idea of sharing something that has roots. Something that will endure for years and years. There is something innately inspirational and healing about trees, something awe-inspiring, mysterious, and deeply spiritual.  They symbolize so many things - love, wisdom, hope, perseverance, strength, and courage. 

I also love that by sharing our Little Saps with others, we are helping make the world a greener place. We are helping to ensure a clean future for our children and grandchildren. Around the time I started Little Saps, my family and I visited the polar bear exhibit at the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro. The exhibit teaches visitors how to be good stewards of the environment. The first suggestion - plant a tree!

I thought to myself - if our baby trees could fill me with such love and inspiration, what could they do for others?

I started Little Saps with the idea that our little trees would go out into the world carrying messages of hope, joy, comfort, encouragement, love, and healing. My dream is that these messages touch the hearts of those that receive them and that they absorb all the love, warmth, and good will that is sent their way. That is why we take such care with each Little Sap we package. We take time to make each gift special, because we want the gift recipient to feel the love and thought that went into each gift tree.

When we believe that others love and care for us, when we believe they are rooting for us, when we believe that they think we can do it - we are able to conquer whatever life throws at us with enthusiasm, courage, and creativity.

Here’s to hoping that whatever life throws at you, you remember these two lessons from our Little Saps - all things grow with love and your roots are strong. You got this!

xo, Carrie

To shop our Little Saps collection of gift trees, visit our online store. To shop our Little Saps party or event favors, visit our event favors page.