Sometimes, our paths in life come about by joining together the things that matter most to us. For Rebecca Barrett, her journey as a craftsperson began with two pieces: family, and a gift. Barrett is a woodworker and the owner of the Wilder Woodshop, where she makes one-of-a-kind, functional wood art. From cutting boards to cribbage boards, each of Barrett’s “wood goods” is made up of many smaller pieces that have been carefully fit together. In a similar vein, Barrett’s own story joins together a love of family, creativity, and giving back, all of which make the Wilder Woodshop in Grand Marais what it is today.
Rebecca Barrett didn’t set out to be a woodworker; in fact, before she started making cutting boards, she said she’d never picked up a tool in her life. That all changed one Mother’s Day when she wanted to give her mom a unique gift, and the idea of making a cutting board came to mind. Barrett’s husband Ian, a carpenter, had learned to make cutting boards during his internship at North House Folk School, so they decided to give it a try. As it turns out, Barrett got much more than she bargained for. Upon making that first cutting board, she hadn’t just made a unique gift, but stumbled upon a new passion—a passion that would become her livelihood.
“The Wilder Woodshop started as a creative outlet to do outside of my day job, and it just got bigger from there,” Barrett said.
At first, Barrett made cutting boards as gifts for friends and family. Then she began to do wholesale orders, started an online shop, and made the switch to running the Wilder Woodshop as her full-time job, where she not only makes cutting boards, but cribbage boards, cheese slicers, and serving boards, all of which she describes as “functional wood art.” It’s a path that’s not only allowed Barrett to pursue her passion, but also allowed for flexibility after the birth of her son, Wilder, for whom the Wilder Woodshop is named.
“Going full-time and making my own business allowed me to be flexible and be the mom that I needed to be,” she said.
If you were to close your eyes and pick up one of Barrett’s boards, you’d probably think that you were holding a solid piece of wood. The reality is quite the opposite. Each board is made up of many smaller pieces, lovingly put together like a freeform puzzle. Barrett starts each project with hardwood lumber. Her signature style uses a blend of domestic hardwoods like cherry, walnut, and maple, the different tones of which create eye-catching contrast. (Some projects also include woods like mahogany, purpleheart, and padauk.)
Next is a careful sequence of cutting the wood into smaller pieces, laminating with a special glue, and clamping (and re-cutting, re-laminating, and re-clamping). Once the rough board is assembled and cut into smaller sections, Barrett begins a six-part sanding process, resulting in a cutting board that feels like one smooth piece. The final step is adding her signature and a 1/1 mark to the back, signifying the one-of-a-kind nature of her work.
“I never make the same design twice, so once you see me use one design, you’ll probably never see it again,” Barrett said. “Wood is unique and doesn’t really allow you to replicate it the exact same way anyway, so part of my design process is never doing something two times.”
Barrett’s journey as a woodworker started with giving a gift. Today, giving is still a part of the Wilder Woodshop. A key part of Barrett’s yearly production cycle is what she calls “Give Back Month” in March.
“During March, I donate a percentage of my sales to the University of Minnesota Masonic NICU, in honor of my son’s birthday month,” she said. “All month long, I release the best boards that I made that year. There’s a purpose and a story behind every board, so December through March I’m especially making more time-consuming boards to release during that month.”
New this year, community members can participate in Give Back Month while learning the art of cutting board design. Barrett is opening the Wilder Woodshop Studio during certain days in January—people can sign up on her website to come to the studio to design and put together a cutting board with pre-cut pieces. Participants get to name their boards, and Barrett will do the tough work of finishing up the boards in preparation for Give Back Month.
“This is a family-friendly event where I show people how to make a board,” Barrett said. “The makers can choose to purchase their boards if they want, but they’ll all be on my website with the name that they chose for March Give Back Month.”
Although much has changed since Barrett picked up that first tool, her work continues to be defined by joining together the things that matter most. You can learn more about the Wilder Woodshop and Rebecca Barrett’s work online at: thewilderwoodshop.com.