A little bit about Fancy Planks

I’m Sarah and I have been dreaming about Fancy Planks for some time, but started setting it up for real after being made redundant in 2023. I have always enjoyed pottering about in the garage making ‘stuff’ with wood. Not much can beat the feeling of satisfaction from seeing something in action that I have crafted myself, whether that be a coat stand, a bird table or a chopping board.

I’m a largely self-taught woodworker, picked up bits from my Dad over the years, and youtube videos more recently, but also learned much from just having a go and getting it wrong! I completed a short course at Nottingham Trent University with the totally brilliant Carl Smith, to give me a confidence boost and to hone some skills on achieving a more professional finish to my products. Shortly after that, the opportunity came up to rent a workshop and start creating things for other people and trying to make a living from my much loved hobby. Needless to say, I grabbed it with both hands, and this site tells you what’s happening. It’s early days, and there’s no doubt lots to learn still, but so far it’s a lot of fun turning sometimes shabby planks into something seriously fancy looking!

(Probably should have ironed my new t-shirt!)