Sometimes I get an idea in my head, and it just keeps coming back around. That’s how most of my handmade farm builds in Wisconsin come together, an idea, some material, a Saturday, and eventually a finished piece. I may get material for it, think about it more, start building it, something changes, and then I have a final product. I’ve had a lot of odd ideas over the years: a frictionless bearing, an easy-to-water Christmas tree stand, shingles that change color depending on the weather to attract heat in the winter or reflect it in the summer. Some of them I’ve built prototypes of, others are still sitting there, churning. Here are some of the things I’ve built or am about to. These are all handmade at my farm in Southern Wisconsin.

I plan to make extras, so if you’re interested in any of these, just let me know. At some point I’ll be adding a proper shop to the site, but for now, use the contact info below to send me a message.

Eagle’s Nest Birdbath, a Handmade Farm Build

I’ve been toying with a “River Series Collection,” products built around river and lake living, indoor and outdoor pieces alike. Nikki and I love watching bald eagles, and one of our favorite places to do that is Wabasha, Minnesota (you can read about one of our trips here). Her birthday’s coming up, and I wanted to make her something meaningful, which got me thinking about the River Series and where a birdbath might fit in, using what I know about concrete and metalwork. That’s how the Eagle’s Nest Birdbath came together: half-inch rebar, staked into the ground and spiraled up like a tree trunk, with smaller wire rod welded on for branches, topped with a concrete basin for the bath itself. First one’s already spoken for, more to come. ~$500.

Bat Houses, handmade on the farm, used on the farm

Triple-chamber cedar bat houses. I’ve built a lot of these over the past 20 years, though other projects put production on halt for a while. I’ve got 26 in progress in the barn right now, coming soon. They’re built to specs once approved by the Organization for Bat Conservation (now merged with Bat Conservation International), and built to actually get used, not just look nice on a post. Each one’s a small dent in the local mosquito population. ~$180 each. Along with building these on the farm, we also use them here. We have 5 of these handmade bat houses throughout the farm in Southern Wisconsin.

Railroad Spike Coat Hanger, great for chore coats after working on the farm

Reclaimed board mounted with real railroad spikes as hooks: simple, sturdy, built to hold real weight, coats, bags, whatever the entryway needs. I’ve got a few made as prototypes, with mounting holes drilled 16″ on center so they hang directly into wall studs. Want pricing, or have your own size in mind? Just let me know.

Bourbon Shelf, because you need a little relax time after building on the farm

A wall-mounted display shelf sized for a bottle collection. This was one of my first designs combining metal and woodworking, a little saw cutting, a little router work, some riveting, some welding. I’ve got a few started; if you’d like pricing on one, just let me know.

Damascus Knife

This one’s a prototype, I’m still learning the tiny screws and handle shaping, but they’ll get better with each one. A hardworking blade with one-of-a-kind grain. If you’ve got ideas for a unique handle, let me know and I’ll give it a try.

Bread Knife

I love my sourdough, but nothing in my Henkle collection cuts it well. I picked this one up at a craft fair, and I love it, except the blade isn’t tight. So I’m working on a new design with a self-tightening blade for straighter cuts, and I’m thinking about adding a guide plate on the side so you can slice evenly, say, a true half-inch every time. What do you think?

Coming Soon

More handmade farm builds from Wisconsin are always in the works, here’s what’s next. River Series Suspended Birdbath and Inverted Cone Birdbath/Table, details and pricing coming as these move from my head to a sketch, and finally to the shop. We just need to get the barn ready for action and production, and we will have more homemade farm builds from Wisconsin coming your way!

Get In Touch

Prefer email? Reach me directly at chad@barninthesticks.com

Interested in one of these builds, or have your own idea? Send a message and I’ll get back to you.