Wonkibits Workshop
The environmentally sustainable gift source that's not a business;
it's just one ol' git in Suffolk with a good workshop and a sense of fun.
Individualise your home, sustainably.
Where salvaged wood gets a second chance to star
Ok; if you have arrived here, you are probably looking for something odd, quirky or unusual, whilst being as environmentally aware as is possible - and trying to keep a tight hold of the pennies at the same time. Juggling!
Well, here you may well find just the thing for which you search, as all my Wonkibits are made from wood that was due to be either binned or burnt (and they don't cost an arm and a leg either).
My items are all hand-crafted, cute, odd, quirky, unusual, different........ and sometimes even a "A bit Marmite" (You either love 'em or you hate 'em).
Take the innovative Lulu, the spare loo roll holder - very Marmite. Lulu would certainly be a talking point for your downstairs loo, or even the perfect gift for the person who has everything. Either way, it's different.
Or how about re-homing Cathy, the cute cat kitchen roll holder, pictured here. The cat shown here was made from nub-ends of a high quality and responsibly sourced iroko timber, due to be burnt in their wood burning workshop heater. The successful and highly regarded company makes very posh gates for very posh people. They are simply gorgeous (the gates, not necessarily the posh people) and they cost a flippin' bomb. However, Cathy cats are also gorgeous, and only cost just a little bit. And they're practical. And they are sustainable. Cathy protects your kitchen roll and can readily lift her paw when you need a new roll.
There are many sustainable , quirky, fun, cute and practical Wonkibits items to discover here. In the case of the cat, I replicate the basic Cathy shape from my own design templates , but most Wonkibits are totally unique - of which there is just one available . It all depends on the wood that has been rescued.
Welcome to the world of Wonkibits Workshop.......... please browse freely.
Only rescued, salvaged or recycled wood is used to make any Wonkibits item.
True Re-Use
Your chance to report back....oo-er!
Yes or no; good or bad;
Pleased as Punch or Frickin' MAD!
Please tell all.......
Wonkibits Workshop - the story.....
Firstly and most importantly: 'Wonkibits is not a business, it’s just one ol’ git with a good workshop’.
Next; all woods have been salvaged/rescued/reclaimed/pre-used/have a former life. I very, very rarely use 'new timber'.
Re-use; in my view, is real recycling. Proper recycling. It may not be best for the UK economy, but it's best for the planet upon which we live. (ok, I'm off my soap-box now).
The original’ Wonkibit’ was a picture frame, requested by a friend. It was to have uneven length sides and no right-angle corners. Oh yes, and it had to made from old Xmas trees. It really was super-wonky.
All Wonkibits have been made in my tiny Suffolk workshop; it’s nothing special, certainly not as capacious as ‘The Repair Shop’ on TV, and despite the rural Suffolk location - and no, it doesn’t have a thatched roof. However, the equipment is good. I make unique items – no two are completely identical in every way - and, in the main, the designs are from my own head. I may have gleaned an idea of sorts from seeing something somewhere (usually in la belle France), but no single Wonkibit is ever just a direct copy of anything.
Where does the wood come from? Well, anywhere, really. I have friends who occasionally spot wood that is being binned or nice nub-ends heading for a wood burner. I spend lots of time converting what may look like a knobbly, crappy bit of old wood into usable materials. I may be offered an old wardrobe, a kitchen surface….whatever.
I do use some pallet wood, but only for rustic garden items like bird feeders or planters like the huge HexHerb.
Most of my lovely hardwoods have been obtained from local furniture makers. I make use of what they cannot put into fine furniture – raw hardwoods, usually heading for a woodburning stove. My work is not posh or high-finish stuff. It’s fun, quirky, unusual and very often totally unique. I can’t promise that an item will be completely the same as the picture as, as I say, they will all differ to some extent, however I am very happy to have a videocall on Messenger (or similar) to let a buyer see the actual item before they buy, should they wish. You can select the cat kitchen roll holder with the biggest smile, a sly smirk or, even, as I have been asked, to make an especially grumpy one. I can sometimes make individually specified items if it appears to be an enjoyable challenge, or just your take on a design that you have seen. I'm not trying to get rich – fat chance o'that happening! - just to make more items that I like to make, because I like making; and the tools and small machinery necessary for that tend to wear out…. and fast.
I am hoping that this on-line shop is a success as I enjoy making these items, but I don’t like selling. I’m hoping that people like the look of my efforts, so the items can sell themselves - I'm not a businessman!
If you are in the area of Sudbury in Suffolk, give me a ring (daytime hours, please….I’m retired!) and we can arrange for you to have a look at things I have around my tiny workshop. I don’t keep much stock of anything and if I am not keen on any item, I don’t make any more of them – as I say; I am not a business in any way, shape or form.
Why not make a family day of your visit as we’re in the next village to historic Lavenham – a real treat for the tourists! See you soon?
Contact me....
Address
The Playroom, Tots Gardens, Acton, Sudbury, Suffolk.
CO100DJ
W3W: SCANTY.OCTOPUS.NOISE
Phone & Email
077 72 87 00 52
Opening Hours
Not too early till not too late