Building sandcastles at the beach is a lot of fun, but it can also be really frustrating when your walls fall down or your towers break apart. Kevin and Laurie Lane saw this problem while they were on vacation in California in 2016 and thought, “What if there were an easier way to build cool sandcastles without all the mess?”
That’s when they came up with an idea called Create a Castle. They invented a special system of molds that can be opened from the side, which makes it much simpler to create beautiful sand and snow castles without the usual headaches.
In 2022, they appeared on the TV show Shark Tank to try and get help for their business. They asked for $350,000 in exchange for 10% of their business. Their plan was to make more of their molds, make their business bigger, and look for ways to partner with other companies. After some intense discussions, they made a deal with one of the guest investors, Kendra Scott, who agreed to invest $350,000 in return for 20% of their company.
Create a Castle Net Worth Shark Tank Update 2025
Kevin and Laurie Lane were looking for an investment of $350k in exchange for 10% equity in the company. At the time of the episode, they valued their company at $3.5 million. Kevin and Laurie successfully secured a deal with Kendra Scott for an investment of $350k for 20% equity in the company. The investment adjusted the company’s net worth to around $1.75 million. After the show was aired, the company experienced a good boost in exposure. As per my rough estimate, the current net worth of Create a Castle in 2025 is around $2 million.
Shark(s) name | Offer & Demand | Counteroffer | Accepted? |
Kendra Scott | $350,000 for 20% equity | $350,000 for 15% equity | Yes |
Lori Greiner | Out | N/A | N/A |
Kevin O’Leary | Out | N/A | N/A |
Daymond John | $350,000 for 25% equity | N/A | No |
Mark Cuban | Out | N/A | N/A |
Kevin and Laurie Lane Backstory + Their Initial Pitch
Kevin and Laurie Lane found a fun and frustrating problem many kids face: building sandcastles that fall apart easily. When using just buckets and shovels, it’s common for sandcastles to crumble, which can be disappointing. They decided to fix this by creating hinged molds. These molds open from the side, so kids can easily take the sandcastle out without breaking it!
They designed three versions of their sandcastle kits:
- Basic Kit – Just the simple molds for making castles.
- Deluxe Kit – This one has more intricate designs for cooler castles.
- Pro-Kit – This is for serious builders who want advanced tools to create epic sandcastles.
Each kit comes with some useful tools like a window cutter (to carve out fun details), a carrying bag (to hold everything), and clear instructions to help you build. Their product became really popular and they started selling it through stores like Walmart, Amazon, Sam’s Club, and Costco in Canada.
When they shared their business plan, they explained how much it costs them to make each kit compared to how much they sell it for. For the Small Kit, it costs them $2 to make and they sell it for $10. For the Pro Kit, it costs them $9.45 to make but they sell it for $50.
They also have 12 international patents, which means they have special legal rights to protect their unique mold design from being copied. However, 2021 was a challenging year for them because shipping costs rose a lot, and they lost $100,000 as a result. But by 2022, they managed to recover and were optimistic about making $3 million in sales and $300,000 in profit.
Their biggest challenge is figuring out how to make sales at retail stores while still making a profit. Big stores often want to pay less, which can hurt their profits. To grow their business in a healthy way, they hope to get help from a “shark” (an investor) to focus on deals that let them sell directly to customers and create licensing deals. This would help them reach more people and make more money!
Queries + Shark’s Responses, and Final Deal
Mark said he didn’t want to invest because he thought the business was focusing too much on how much they were selling (sales) rather than how much money they were actually making after expenses (profits). He believed the business relies too much on sales that come from lowering prices in stores (retail markdowns) and he didn’t see strong enough profits.
Kevin, also known as “Mr. Wonderful,” didn’t like how the business was set up. He suggested that instead of selling through big stores, they should raise their prices and sell directly to the customers. This way, they could keep more of the money.
Lori loved the product itself, but she decided not to invest because she didn’t believe the company had enough chances to grow. Just liking a product isn’t always enough for her to invest.
Daymond John Offered $350K for 25%.
Daymond thought there was good potential for working with other brands to help the business grow (brand partnerships). However, he wanted a bigger piece of the company (25% ownership).
Kendra Scott Offered $350K for 20%.
Kendra, who knows a lot about retail, thought the product was priced well and saw a lot of possibilities for expanding the brand, meaning it could reach more customers.
Kevin and Lori tried to convince Daymond and Kendra to join forces and work together, but both of them wanted to keep their own deals. They made a counteroffer to Kendra, asking for only 15% ownership instead of 20%, but Kendra didn’t budge and stuck to her offer.
In the end, they agreed to Kendra’s deal of $350,000 for 20% equity.
Product Availability
So, if you’re interested in building your own castles, there are some really cool “Create a Castle” kits you can buy. You can find these kits online on a website called CreateACastle.com or on Amazon, which is a big online store. You can also buy them in physical stores. There are 32 stores in the U.S. and one store in Australia where you can get them.
They have some exciting new products, like, Indoor kits for building castles inside your house. Castle Light Kits to add lights to your castle and make it look awesome. Dig & Hold Anchoring System to help you build your castle better and keep it stable. The kits are priced between $10 and $50. The basic kits start at $10, which is good for beginners, while the Pro Kit is $50, and has more advanced features for those who want to take their castle-building to the next level.
What Happened To The Create a Castle After Shark Tank?
After appearing on Shark Tank, they got a lot of publicity The company has opened shops in 32 places across the U.S., which helps reach more customers. They’ve started selling new items like kits for indoor activities and lighting accessories, offering more choices for their customers. They featured their products on HSN Online, a popular shopping website, in November 2022, which likely helped boost their visibility and sales.
The business is making almost $3 million a year, so it’s doing well financially. Laurie Lane, likely a key person in the company, was nominated for a special award in 2023 recognizing her contributions to the toy industry.
Conclusion
Create a Castle went on a show called Shark Tank, where people pitch their business ideas to investors. At first, some of the investors weren’t sure about their idea. However, Kendra Scott, a well-known jewelry designer, decided to invest in them. With her support, Create a Castle was able to grow and reach more people.
Now, their products are very popular, showing that sometimes a fun and simple idea can become a very successful business that makes a lot of money.

Hey, I’m Amna Habib, an undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor’s in Business Administration. Shark Tank has always been one of my favorite TV shows because it offers a unique glimpse into the world of entrepreneurship. The way entrepreneurs present innovative solutions to everyday problems aligns with my academic interests and fuels my curiosity about business strategies. Each pitch showcases creativity and strategic decision-making, which I find both insightful and inspiring. Watching the show has deepened my passion for business and motivated me to explore the world of entrepreneurship even further. Beyond business and writing, I love food, shopping, and spending time with my friends and family.