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Business Spotlight: Falling Leaf Creations
Falling Leaf Creations
Hobby Turns Into Fun Family Business by Maria Gus
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For Craig Green, owner of Falling Leaf Creations, what began as a way to keep himself occupied has evolved into a testament to hard work, perseverance, and teamwork.
Hailing from Moorehead, Minnesota, Green first came to Oklahoma in January of 2009. “Uncle Sam brought me to Oklahoma,” said Green. “I was in the military for four years at Ft. Sill and spent one year in Afganistan.” Green spent his time in the Army working with artillery and radar but wasn’t quite sure what to do once his service had ended.
During a short stint in San Francisco, Green was living in a motorhome where minimalism was a necessity. Still, he couldn’t shake the urge to stay busy, and in an effort to get out of the confined space, he started focusing his energy on making things.
“I was a stay at home dad and I needed something to tinker around with,” said Green. After searching the internet and finding a huge selection of ideas on the website Pinterest, he was ready to try.
“I found a desk and made a desk.” Just like that.
After San Francisco was a move back to Oklahoma and a divorce. Green found himself in the familiar place of not quite knowing what was next.
Eventually Green met his current wife, Ashley, the way many modern-day couples meet — on the internet. They soon fell in love and two years later became a blended family of eight. Green landed a job at Bartlesville downtown dining favorite, Painted Horse, and has been working there ever since, wearing quite a few hats while there. Guests have seen his handiwork in the signs and the bar revamp.
Even with a full-time job and a full house, Green still wanted time to create. His projects started getting bigger and bigger and his “hobby” was building momentum.
Green’s family in Minnesota had equipped him with a powerful arsenal of skills, including hard work, creativity, and an unending desire to learn. His woodwork became a way he could pay himself. He liked the idea of selling his work at fairs, so he started making pens — but it would take a lot of pens to fill a booth. One day a woodworker friend gave him a cutting board and that was the moment it all came together.
“I loved it, I loved everything about it,” remembered Green, “I told Ashley, I think I can do this and sell them.” Soon he had found the needed materials and threw together eight cutting boards. From there it just exploded. The first board he ever made is still used in their kitchen today. Depending on design and the type of wood, Green can make boards that range anywhere from $15 to $1500.
Green preps his materials for his cutting boards by creating several strips of various sizes and kinds of wood. That’s when the family comes in to play. Green, Ashley, and the kids all use their creativity in assembling the pieces. When the Green family works together, the finished product is a perfect example of their lives — taking lots of great pieces and putting them together for an even stronger and more lovely creation.
Currently, the Green family sells their wood cutting boards at quite a few shows a year. Customers can find them at shows like Sunfest, the Bartlesville Farmer’s Market, OKM’s Christkindl Market — and they’re growing. They’ve sold in Sand Springs and all the way up to Fargo, North Dakota (just next door to his hometown).
Look for Falling Leaf Creations in Lubella’s Market, the Brick Teepee in Pawhuska, and on Facebook. A new website will also be launching soon at www.fallingleafcreations.com.
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