In The Workshop

In the workshop at this time I am getting started on some natural tree curtain rods and hooks. This is a great way to add a rustic look to a room. For this customer I have chosen to use Maple for both the rustic rods and hooks, and I will leave the bark on. I have cut the rods from trees that are fairly young and straight. They were growing in an area that was cleared but then left to grow back in, so the trees are pretty tight together. The diameter is about 1 1/2 " and they will be about 4 ' long. The hooks will be one piece where a branch was growing from the tree and the rod will sit upon one at each end of the window opening. The customer is then going to make her own curtains that will slide over the rod. Of course, these will not be completely straight and that is part of the rustic charm. As I mentioned, the bark will be left on and then I am going to put a completely environmentally safe and non toxic clear finish on which will protect the wood for easy clean up but also darken the wood a bit. That's my current project along with starting to collect wood for another Adirondack table I hope to start soon, but I'll fill you in on that later. I'll try to post some pictures of the rustic curtain rods and hooks when I get them done.

Holiday Food Drive

The Wilderness Creations food drive was a great success again this year! During the month of December, leading up to Christmas we gathered 143 pounds of food! Thank you to all of our customers and visitors that dropped of food for this important cause. It was wonderful to see people pull in and drop of bags of food that will go to help families in our community. We will be donating the food to The Community Kitchen of Keene NH for distribution.
Thank you again, and Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays!

From all of us at Wilderness Creations, we would like to wish you a very happy new year! We hope your holidays have been filled with joy and that 2010 brings you much happiness. 2010, can you believe it? Let's make it a great year and the start of a great decade!
Be well.

Power Tenon Cutter

Set of Tenon Cutters and an example of a stick cut with the tenon cutter.

Tenon Cutters

Tenon cutters are a great tool for the rustic woodworker. Yes you can make nice tenons by hand using a draw knife but the cutters can be very handy and fast, and make a nice looking, consistent tenon for your rustic projects. I purchased a set from Lee Valley and Veritas that included six tenon cutters ranging in size from 5/8" to 2". They are light weight and fit into a standard drill or drill press. I typically use mine in my 18 volt cordless Dewalt driver and they work quite nicely. On many occasions you may need to bring down the wood's end diameter to get it closer to the tenon size which you can do using a draw knife. These hand held cutters can get to be more challenging and a bit more work when you get up into the 2" range because of the wood size but they still are quicker and give you a nice even tenon. The cutters also feature a built in level so that you can get your tenon going the proper direction. There is always some "eye balling" that goes on when doing it free hand without a guide, but you can usually get them close enough that you can make small adjustments when it is in the mortise hole, by turning the wood to the spot where it fits best for your project. There are several other companies that make this type of tenon cutter, such as Bosworth, Blue Ox, and Northwest. At Lee Valley the cost of these cutters ranges from $87 for the 5/8 up to $109 for the 2", but they do offer sets that can save you a bit of money. I found them well worth the cost and I have had mine for about 8 years, with no problems. So, have fun making your rustic furniture and try out some tenon cutters for a beautiful and secure log/stick connection.

Copper as an accent on rustic furniture.

Copper is a great accent to use on rustic style projects. Copper is one of the most beautiful metals and it goes very well, in my opinion, with twigs, birch bark, barn wood, and other rustic furniture materials. So, what is the best way to incorporate copper into your home projects? What I do is I buy copper flashing at the local hardware store. No, it’s not cheap but the metal itself will probably hold it’s value no matter what you do with it. It comes in different widths and in various length rolls, used by builders to protect areas on roofs and other spots where water can get to the building. Once you have purchased your copper you can cut it with shears that can also be purchased at any hardware or home improvement store. As with anything, it will pay to get a good solid pair of shears because they will last longer and cut easier. I like to add copper accents on to my mirror/picture frame projects, along with twigs and White Birch bark. Sometimes I keep it new and shiny and other times I leave it outside until it tarnishes and looks older. Another way to prepare the copper is by banging it with a rounded hammer to give it the old pounded look (you will see examples of this in the accompanying photos). This takes a bit of time to get it completely pounded and looking somewhat authentic but it is fun to see it start to fill in and come together. When applying the copper to your project you want to glue it in place and then you will also cover the edges and hold it down with logs, twigs, or whatever material you are working with. This will hold it securely in place as well as hide the edges. It’s really as simple as that. You can add some wonderful copper accents to your project and it will be pretty straight forward. I do not put any special finish on the copper I just let it change as it may over time, but if you need to spray a finish of some type over the bark or twigs it is fine to go over the copper as well. Good luck with your rustic/Adirondack home project and please let me know if you have any thoughts or questions on using copper to cover flat areas.

If you desire larger pieces of copper furniture like tables, beds, and more then please contact us to learn about the line of rustic copper furniture that we carry. Mark@RusticFurnitureGallery.com

Old Hickory Furniture Co.

Wilderness Creations, LLC. is proud to carry Old Hickory Furniture, made in Indiana, USA.

We offer the entire Old Hickory catalog and give personal attention to each and every customer.

Rustic Furniture Sale Continues

Wilderness Creations is offering at least 20% off everything in our gallery (except consignment items). Some gifts and pieces of furniture are marked off as much as 50%! Stop into our gallery located on route 101 in Dublin New Hampshire to see all the fun rustic and Adirondack furnishings, home accessories, and gifts that we have in stock. Beyond our extensive inventory we also can order in thousands of items from the fine companies that we work with. Come in and see what we have to offer for your home, and if you need any help with the interior decorating we offer that service as well. We will also offer 20% off of any rustic furniture that we order in during this sale, if you mention this blog. This sale runs up until December 24th and our gallery hours are Monday, Tuesday by appointment, Wednesday through Saturday 10-5, and Sunday 10-2. Of course you can always check out our website at www.RusticFurnitureGallery.com

Art Show

Saturday December 19th, Toni Garland of Peterborough NH displayed her latest artwork at the Wilderness Creations Gallery. The show was a huge success and attendance was estimated at over 50 people. The artwork had two major categories, School Days and Zest For The West. Everyone enjoyed getting together and viewing these fine paintings as well as socializing on a cold New England evening. Wilderness Creations looks forward to showing and promoting other local artists from the Monadnock Region, in the near future. Extra thanks to all of those who brought food to the show for our holiday food drive.

Food Drive Continues

The Wilderness Creations Food Drive is going on now through December 24th. We are trying to collect as much food as possible for our local organizations, so please take a moment to drop off some items to add to our supply. We really appreciate your support and so will the local food pantries and those that are in need of food this year.
Thank You!

New Items for the Holidays

Just in, we've got some new carved bears and cedar furniture. Wilderness Creations has lots of unique gifts in stock and everything is at least 20% off. Swing by the store to find something special for your loved ones this holiday season.

Sale Starts Today!

Wilderness Creations is having a 20% off sale from now until Christmas! Some items will be discounted even further. Stop into our gallery to save on everything in stock, and find wonderful, unique holiday gifts. Surprise your loved ones with something they would never expect, but will love and enjoy for years to come.

Old Hickory Co. Sofa

Beautiful Old Hickory Company Sofa. Woodlands Sofa with Tahoe Bark, Rustic Finish, and Pioneer Oak. It has a very attractive fabric on the cushions and matching pillows. Solid Oak arms, White Birch accents and Hickory borders make for a perfect combination on this Old Hickory sofa. The back is completely finished so it can be enjoyed in the center of a room.
This Old Hickory Sofa is in stock, and is now 20% off!
Come visit our gallery in Dublin, NH. to see this sofa and other Old Hickory products, or call for more information 603-563-7010. We've got many fabric and leather options as well as other style sofas. You can also visit
http://www.rusticfurnituregallery.com/home.php?cat=109 to see more Old Hickory options.

The holiday season at Wilderness Creations

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and were able to spend time with loved ones. I was fortunate enough to be able to spend the whole week with my entire family. We all went to Jamaica to celebrate my mother's 70th birthday, as well as Thanksgiving. My father put the whole trip together and it really was perfect. We stayed at a wonderful resort that was friendly and safe, and enjoyed beautiful sunny skies every day. The resort was the Half Moon, near Montego Bay. Our days were relaxing, spending time by the pools, playing tennis, and just enjoying our surroundings and each other. It is really important and fun to get away from home and work for a while. Leave it behind and have a good time.
Now it is back to work. We have increased our hours at the Gallery for the holiday season, and we are advertising a sale right up until Christmas. Everything in stock will be at least 20% off (except for consignment items). On December 12th we will be hosting an art show, featuring the paintings of Toni Garland. Please give us a call if you are interested in attending and we can add you to the list 603-563-7010.
In addition we will be collecting food for our local food banks, all month long. There are many people struggling right now with very basic needs and we want to collect as much as possible to help out in our area. Especially during the holidays, everyone deserves a good meal, so please drop off your food items or donations at the Wilderness Creations Gallery, located at 1327, Rt. 101, in Dublin, NH. We thank you in advance for your generosity.
Stop by and see all of the unique gifts that we have on sale this month, or visit us online at www.RusticFurnitureGallery.com
Take care and enjoy the holiday season.