image: "/blog/how-salam-lanterns-started-hero.webp" title: "The Salam Lanterns Journey: From a Gift Search to a Mission" description: "How one family's search for hijabi sticker books — sparked by a daughter's gift idea for her masjid friends — launched a movement for Muslim girls." date: "2026-05-12" slug: "how-salam-lanterns-started" category: "Our Story" tags:
- Muslim girls
- hijabi sticker books
- representation
- entrepreneurship
- modest fashion
A Family at the Masjid
It started with faith. I embraced Islam, and my family became part of the local masjid community. My wife Catherine and I raised our daughter Blair surrounded by the friendships, holidays, and gatherings that came with it.
The Gift Search
Blair wanted to buy sticker books as gifts for her Muslim friends. She loved creative play — the kind of books where you dress characters, build scenes, and imagine stories. It was personal, thoughtful, and fun.
She went looking. And looking. And looking.
Every sticker book on the shelf had the same problem: the characters, the fashion, the aesthetic — none of it matched the modest values her friends shared. She searched Etsy. Online stores. Niche shops. Surely someone was making modest sticker books for Muslim girls?
Nobody was.
Catherine's Idea
Frustrated but determined, Blair told Catherine — her mom — about her search. They talked about it together. Why didn't this exist? Muslim girls love stickers. Muslim parents want products that reflect their values. The demand was obvious.
Catherine said: "Let's make them ourselves."
That was the moment Salam Lanterns was born.
Building From Scratch
Catherine, Blair, and I went to work. We had no toy industry experience. No publishing connections. Just a clear vision: sticker books where every Muslim girl could see herself, designed with the values and joy Muslim families deserve.
They figured out manufacturing. Designed the characters. Tested the stickers with real kids. Built a mobile app so the experience could reach girls who couldn't afford the physical books.
The first run sold out. Then the second. The demand was always there — families just needed someone to build it.
What Makes Salam Lanterns Different
It's built by people who get it. This isn't a corporate diversity initiative. It's a team of Muslims who lived the gap firsthand and built the solution.
It's designed with values. Every sticker, every outfit, every character respects modesty while celebrating creativity and fun.
It's just the start. The team has ambitious goals:
- Apps for every sticker book — so cost never stops a girl from creating
- Games and shows that Muslim parents trust and kids love
- A full media platform where modesty is the standard, not an afterthought
The Bigger Picture
Salam Lanterns isn't just about sticker books. It's about building the place Muslim families in the West have been waiting for — a space where their daughters see characters who look like them, dress like them, and share their values.
From a gift search at the masjid to a growing brand with sticker books, a mobile app, and a roadmap that stretches years into the future — this is what happens when families decide to build what the world hasn't built yet.
