Our son Aiden has a passion for working with wood and small engines. For several years he has been creating wooden items and giving them as gifts. One Christmas morning Asher received a handmade wooden truck and trailer with wooden hay bales to go with it. We were all impressed, and Asher was thrilled. I was thankful that I didn’t have to worry about the toy being made with harmful substances, and it was very environmentally friendly, since it was made with wood scraps. Aiden makes all of his items with wood from our farm or nearby places. Our family burns wood to heat our home, and we recently bought a saw mill, so we collect a lot of wood, and Aiden enjoys gathering from there. For several years we have used wood that other people didn’t want or trees that have fallen or need to be removed, but we have never cut a tree down specifically to use for heating or milling.

I asked Aiden how long it takes him to make a wooden item, and he said a top takes him about 20 minutes. Other items take longer. All of his items are made by hand so each one is unique. He uses a homemade finish of olive oil and beeswax, and does most of his work in the basement where he used to have a large model train display. Aiden enjoys working down there, because it’s cool in the summer and warm in the winter (since it’s close to the wood stove). When asked what his favorite wooden item to make was, he said he wasn’t sure, but said he likes making smaller items, and enjoys experimenting with new ideas. Aiden has decided to try selling some of his items through our website, and hopes to continue adding new items for sale. You can check out his wooden items here.