Handmade masterpieces don’t announce themselves. They start as a childhood pastime, a fading old-school hobby, a quiet hour of crafting that nobody thinks much of. Then someone pours their heart into ...

When Fernando and Patricia Escobedo moved to the Willows, an affluent neighborhood in El Paso, Texas, 25 years ago, kids were everywhere. About half of the homes on their cul-de-sac had children.