The joy of making...

The most important thing I wish to pass on to my children is the joy of making…
Being able to create things with your own hands changes your outlook on life:

1. You feel empowered by a sense of self-sufficiency
2. You learn patience when you see how your perseverance pays off.
3. You learn to appreciate the things made by other people when you see what goes into making something from scratch. This in turn teaches you respect for others.
4. You can make useful and beautiful things you otherwise might not be able to afford.
5. You see the possibilities of making improvements in the world around you.
6. You learn to take pride in what you do.
7. You will never be bored, as there is always something else to make…

I feel very privileged to be able to create beautiful things that will be around long after my life time.

I try to share a bit of my passion and joy of working with oak and have had numerous school classes visit where we get the chance to show the children how you embrace the beauty of nature to create useful objects.

I love seeing their faces when they have turned a rough block of wood into something beautiful that they can take home and be proud of. I think in turn this energises our team at O&R and reminds them why we do what we do.

Not everybody had a garage, shed or workshop with wonderful tools and beautiful materials to work with. But you don't actually need that to get started.

We have a range of 'Create Yourself...' kits that can help you or you can book in for a Workshop Experience Day where we can guide you through the making of an Oak & Rope piece to take home.