My journey into woodworking began in the winter of 2014 when my sister showed me a picture of a 3D wooden Maryland flag someone was selling on Etsy. We both thought it looked amazing, and the idea of challenging myself to recreate it was tossed around. Imagine being able to display a custom piece like this (us Marylanders sure love our flag!) in the main room of the house, and telling everyone that sees it that you made it. That thought was enough for me to say why not let’s see what happens.
After a couple calculations and measurements of the flag in Photoshop, I headed down the street to the local hardware store. I started gathering the wood, screws, and paint that I thought I needed. Luckily I had access to the tools I needed with what my dad and his dad had accumulated over the years. Once I got back from the store, I got right into it. To my surprise, there weren’t too many mistakes or extra trips to the store needed. After finishing that first flag, I realized that this was a hobby I could find myself enjoying.
It’s crazy every time I come on here to publish an update with a new project that has been completed and looking back at everything I’ve made. Even walking around the house every day there are little reminders of all the work that went into each and every project, no matter how big or small.
It may be hard to believe, but everything I made for the first six years was made outside in my parent’s back yard (which means planning around the weather, managing my time around daylight hours, and the fun of setting up and cleaning up each time I work). My wife and I were lucky enough to purchase a house where I’ve been able to set up a garage shop for a permanent setup. I’ve picked up a few new tools here and there, but honestly not much has changed over the years. I continue to draw inspiration from woodworker content creators, magazines, things we walk by in stores, my (semi-long) honey-do list, etc. to plan out my next project.
Everything that I have worked on with a family member, friend, or someone that has reached out has been through word of mouth, so I can’t thank each of you enough for continuing to share my projects. There is a certain satisfaction that comes out of creating custom woodworking pieces for family and friends that cannot be explained. From working with them on the design and hearing their feedback, to spending the time hands-on in the shop, to the final reveal of the finished product. Each project, small and large, is unique and has helped me develop new skills in this crazy world of woodworking.
I am always open to new ideas and love to collaborate with people to bring their ideas to life. There is very little I will say no to, as each new project presents it’s own new challenges that I enjoy working through to figure out. Thanks again for visiting and feel free to reach out if you have any questions, comments, or feedback!