Please help us welcome Peter of Pop Pop’s Woodshop to The 815 Artisan Collective!
After spending 30 years as a carpenter, Peter already knew a thing or two about working with wood. When retirement came five years ago, woodworking became a way to keep building—this time simply for the enjoyment of it.
Peter started by making things for friends and family. Then a daughter found a craft market and suggested giving it a try. Peter and a good friend packed up their woodworking creations, set up their booths, and a whole new retirement adventure began!
Today, Pop Pop’s Woodshop is filled with handcrafted wooden creations, from children’s toys and epoxy charcuterie boards to wooden mugs and bowls. Peter especially enjoys projects that require a little problem-solving, like figuring out exactly how the angles and individual pieces of a wooden mug or bowl need to fit together.
A typical day in Pop Pop’s Woodshop is wonderfully simple: head out to the garage, put on some headphones, turn on the radio or music, and get lost in the work. After a 30-year career as a carpenter, working with wood has become a relaxing way to spend retirement while still getting to build something with two hands.
Peter especially loves the natural colors of different woods and seeing how they complement one another. Add in epoxy, a little creativity, and decades of experience working with wood, and you never quite know what might come out of the shop next.
Peter says, “I don’t consider myself an artist,” although plenty of other people have commented on those artistic skills!
But some of the best creations never make it to a craft show at all. Peter loves giving handmade pieces to friends because then they’ll always have a little piece of the maker who created them. And one of the very best moments? Giving a handmade toy to a granddaughter and actually getting to watch that toy being played with.
A friend who already had a space at The Collective suggested Peter come take a look. After Peter and his wife visited the shop, they decided it felt like the right place for Pop Pop’s Woodshop.
We’re very happy they did!
Stop in, explore the handcrafted toys, woodwork, and one-of-a-kind creations from Pop Pop’s Woodshop, and help us give Peter a warm welcome to The 815 Artisan Collective!
