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I have a confession: every week, I spend precious hours entangled in social media groups for houseplant lovers. Sometimes I interact and give advice; other times I just lurk and admire other people’s plant babes. I can’t help it. I’m a believer in the power of plants to create supportive communities.
It was in such a group that I came across a post from Kelly. She had just started her business making wood plant stands and was announcing it proudly to the private plant community I was just happening to scroll through.
The picture she posted – of a curvy wood plant hanger – made me go looking for more. I found her Etsy store, Wood and Soil, and decided to keep tabs on it.
And every time I checked, there were more and more swooning reviews from her customers. “I have already gotten many compliments on it,” said one. “Love the craftsmanship and quality of the materials,” reviewed another. “It has become my favorite focal point in the room,” and on and on. Talk about building a fan base, one product at a time.
I reached out to Kelly to find out more about the creative process behind making every single wood planter by hand and how Wood and Soil got started.
Hi, Kelly! Can you please tell us a little bit about yourself and your work.
My husband, Casey, and I make wood plant stands and hanging baskets by hand. We are both in our mid-30s and have two daughters: Evelyn who is 5 and Alice who is 2.
How did you decide to become a wood artisan?
One of Casey’s hobbies has been woodworking, and I’ve had a plant obsession for years. Over the years, Casey had made a few pieces for my plants. We were both bartenders when the pandemic hit, so we both lost our jobs because of it. Not knowing how long it would last, we needed a plan to provide for our daughters.
After many ideas, we decided to try the plant stands and baskets! Now it has become a full-time job for both of us, which is so crazy to think about. When we first set up our business, Casey did a lot of the woodworking; but he has been training me over the months and I can make any of our pieces from start to finish now! So, it’s been a really rad skill to learn.
Your hanging baskets look gorgeous and unique. Can you give us some insight into your creative process? How does a piece designed and created by Wood and Soil come to life?
Thank you so much! The very first basket design came from Casey when he made me a basket out of an old dining chair! So we used that design as the inspiration for our first basket.
Now, it’s a collaboration between the two of us when designing new pieces. A lot of the time, I think of a piece that I would want for myself and we try to bring it to life. Casey is a natural artist, so when he gets some spare time to just focus on creating, he comes up with amazing designs.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Our inspiration comes from everyday life. We want pieces to be both beautiful and functional.
The inspiration for one of our pieces came from the classic “egg chair” design. Another piece was designed for people to be able to hang a basket without having to put holes in their ceiling or walls. I really wanted that option for people who rent and aren’t allowed to drill into their walls.
What does a workday look like for you?
The first few hours of work start with stinging up baskets and getting pieces ready to ship that we stained the night before! Our customers get to choose the stain option that best fits their style, so everything is made to order.
After everything is packed and dropped off at the post office, we are in the shop and drawing out pieces, cutting them out, routing, drilling, sanding and then staining. We aim to get about 10 pieces done from start to finish every day. Each piece takes us hours to make, so we are only able to fit in so many a day.
Do you have a favorite houseplant?
Oh wow, that’s a hard one. I love so many! My monsteras and my lemon lime philodendrons are probably my favorites.
Where can people find you online?
So many places! We sell our designs via Etsy at Wood and Soil and we ship everywhere! If people want to follow us online, they can find us on Instagram and Facebook.
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, Kelly!
All images via Wood and Soil.
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