03/11/2024
Rather than sharing a tool or tip of the week, I thought I’d share a bit about myself this time.
My name is Karen, and I fell in love with woodworking back in my late 20s, after buying my first home. It was an old 50’s house (think pink kitchen counters and yellow bathtubs) and I started ripping out carpeting and installing baseboards with a hand saw and a hammer.
I enjoyed house projects so much that a few years later, I took some classes at a city college and learned about miter saws and nail guns and how they could make projects so much easier! At that point, I was hooked!
I mostly made smaller projects, like 2x4 shelving and repurposing old furniture, adding baseboards, and worked up to installing a tile floor and bamboo flooring. I made lots of mistakes (and still do!), but I learn new skills from each and every mistake. My dad, who was more into plumbing and electrical, was always willing to help with bigger projects and even helped me build a beautiful patio cover, even though we had no idea what we were doing. We just figured it out as we went.
Fast forward to today, I’m a mom of an (almost) teen and have worked as an accountant for almost 30 years! But last fall, I knew it was time for a change. Some friends were talking about making some Christmas decor and I offered to teach them. We found a cute Christmas tree and I showed them how to cut and build their trees. I had so much fun working with them, that’s when the idea of Empower Tools was born.
I know most women don’t get an opportunity to learn how to use tools, and it’s an intimidating thing to learn without having someone teach you. Once you’ve had a chance learn some of the basic tools and skills, it’s opens up your world on what you can make on your own.
It’s been so fun getting a chance to meet so many new women over the past couple months and share the fun of woodworking. ❤️
