Running medal holders are just one of the many items that Sarah Braddell makes in her business, Waverly Woodcrafts.
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Sarah Braddell is a small business owner who makes unique wooden items.
She is a graduate of Scranton Preparatory. She took AP Art class there which involved different mediums that sparked her love for art.
She continued her education at The University of Scranton where she majored in Counseling and Human Services. She has a master’s degree in human resources administration.
“I started by doing some house projects. We had just moved into a new house that was recently updated but I wanted to make parts of it my own,” Braddell said. “I felt the children’s bathroom was boring and plain, so I went out and bought a nail gun and got to work. I added some vertical shiplap on the lower half of the bathroom. From there I did a bunch of home projects to added built-ins to changing the spindles on the staircase to updating the half bath.
“Updating the half bath is what got me into actually making wooden objects more than just house projects. We had a plastic step stool for my kids to use and it didn’t go with the new bath. To buy a wooden step stool was very expensive, so I made one instead. Shortly after, my friend told me people would buy these and from there Waverly Woodcrafts was created.”
Her children are Landon, 9, Lucas, 6, and Lucy, 3.
She makes geometric wall art, running medal holders and coasters that focus on rock bands. She also makes essential oil holders and decorative trays. Around the holidays last year, she made doll beds, Lego trays, wooden snowflakes and wooden trees for decorations.
She uses many tools to create her wood pieces including a miter saw, table saw, drill, nail gun, sander, jigsaw, planer, router and mallet.
“Some designs are pretty straightforward: Chevron, herringbone or mountain ranges. For other designs, I just play around with different sized angles and see what looks good. I get color inspiration from different places as well. My friends will tell me colors their kids are into and I try to incorporate them,” she said.
“I met Sarah because I was interested in purchasing a personalized present for a friend of the family. She was flexible and worked with me to create the perfect gift a personalized panda-themed puzzle. She also made my mom, a flower lover, a personalized cutting board. It was absolutely stunning and the details are amazing. When I first met her to pick up what she made, we got to chatting and connected because I have my own small business. Since then, she has been such an encouragement to me and has taken me under her wing. Someone who understands how much love and grit go into a piece,” said Jennifer Latshaw.
“I love taking a piece of wood, with all its imperfections knots, rawness, hard edges and make it into something beautiful,” Braddell said. “No two pieces of work are ever the same. I love showcasing some of the wood’s imperfections. I pick certain pieces to showcase a knot, or how the wood picks up a stain. I love being able to combine my love of doing art with my woodworking. Now that I have started woodburning, I am able to do so even more. I get to essentially draw with fire and it’s been a lot of fun.”
Braddell enjoys making things that people ask her to make because it might be a product, she never thought of that others might want. She made a book triangle to hold a friend’s place in a book and a place for her glasses when she reads at night. Another friend asked for an iPad stand for her kids iPad that would hide the chords.
“This year I started wood burning, which I’m really loving and using that in making ornaments and will expand it out to iPad holders/stands. I offer craft kits for kids. I am very excited about these because I know as a mom of three sometimes kids get bored and with bad weather, I like to have crafts on hand for the kids to do. I offer different sized kits with different objects/animals they make, paint and frame. I also have holiday kits. I am looking forward to collaborating with a friend of mine who does macrame so there are a lot of exciting things I currently do and looking forward to trying out,” she said.
She will be selling her woodcrafts at the Prep Galleria on Nov. 11 and 12 and at the Scranton Cultural Center Marketplace on Nov. 26,
“Not everyone is going to like what you create and that is okay. As long as you are doing what you love and makes you happy, just keep creating. Woodworking has not only given me a creative outlet in my life but also has allowed me to meet many new people. I love all the local support I have received so far and hope to continue to create for quite some time.”
Items can also be purchased on the Waverly Woodwork Facebook page. Instagram or at waverlywoodcrafts@gmail.com.
