Simple, Beautiful DIY Projects
Cottage, beach, farmhouse, rustic or vintage inspired; whatever you want to call it, it’s the style I love to make. Over the years, wooden trays and boxes have become my specialty, but they are by no means the only things I make.
I’ve recently retired from wholesaling my work. I’ll still be in and out of the shop often as I create new designs to share with you and a few things to sell.
"Perfectly Imperfect" describes my style
If you’re new to woodworking, you’ll love this approach because it’s very forgiving. I love taking a simple design and then turning it into something unique. I want the finished product to look like it has a history, even a story to tell.
Designing and making wood or wood with wire handles for my trays was a game changer for me! It allows me to customize my trays. They are simple to do and save money; I’ll share how to make them.
Some History
In my younger days, before becoming a stay-at-home mom, I worked as a picture framer, where my work was exact. I find it funny that nowadays, to achieve the vintage look I’m going for, “exact” isn’t the word I would use! During my time as a picture framer, I discovered I had a creative side, but it wasn’t painting pictures! I won first place in a west coast picture framing competition in 1987 for BC. It doesn’t just sound like a long time ago; it feels like another lifetime!
I recently turned 60, and my family gifted me a laptop to “go to town,” making tutorials without having to share a computer. Yay! So here I am on a new journey, working through some learning curves. And truth be told, sharing my ideas and tips makes me happy.
Random things about me
- I am a homebody.
- I love creating gardens as much as I love woodworking and renovations!
- I did Folk dancing as a kid and will bust out the moves for the right song.
- I’m scared of escalators
- I have painted the same room 5 times, including primer coats (and so did my kids…).
- I grew up with a horse named Copper Dust, and a dog named Happy.
- My husband and I have known each other since we were 15.
The Old Tree Cottage
My dream of having a cottage is the inspiration for this blog. The old Ash tree beside my (work in progress) cottage inspired the name “The Old Tree Cottage.” I can’t wait to start using and sharing this space! Check out my blog to learn more about my vision for it or follow along as I work on it.
Thanks for stopping by,
Recent Posts
DIY Rustic Snowflake
I love taking snowflakes from the dollar store and turning them into beautiful rustic decor for winter and Christmas. I also love that they look
From Cheap wood to a beautiful tray
You’ll be amazed at how you can transform builder-grade wood into a board that has a lot of texture and colour variation. In this tutorial,
DIY Rustic Snowflake
I love taking snowflakes from the dollar store and turning them into beautiful rustic decor for winter and Christmas. I also love that they look
From Cheap wood to a beautiful tray
You’ll be amazed at how you can transform builder-grade wood into a board that has a lot of texture and colour variation. In this tutorial,
