An Etsy Store Inspired by a Hurricane

In September of 2008 I experienced my first hurricane first-hand. My wife and I have been in the Houston area since 2002, and the previous hurricanes narrowly missed us or were duds. That explained my lack of fear of Hurricane Ike heading toward the Texas coast. We decided to "hunker down" and ride it out. We came out OK after it was all said and done. My wife slept like a baby through the night and I tried to catch some rest after the power went out. We survived the power outages and other inconveniences while others didn't. As I looked around I didn't have to look very far to see the destruction. We lost parts of our fence and debris was everywhere. As I drove around I saw tons of downed fences, street signs, and trees.

SO, out of this came an idea. Why let all the fences go straight to the landfill? I decided to save the fencewood that I could and maybe use it for "craft" projects. I started my Etsy shop with items I made from this salvaged wood. I made some planters first and then everything just flowed from there. I still have some of this "Hurricane wood" as I'm making more things as time permits.

I feel like I saved something when it comes to this fencewood. This spurred me into using more eco-friendly material in my projects. I try and use reclaimed items when possible and other earth-friendly products. This ACEO/Busines Card holder and this rustic Texas flag are made from reclaimed plywood/fencewood and eco-friendly paints.


Hurricane Ike scared the bejesus out of me, but it helped kick start a creative outlet for me. I'm glad to be on Etsy, and I'm proud to be a part of Men of Etsy.