Raising & Inspiring a Generation of Makers & Artists
Whidden's Woodshop is a small family owned & operated business located southeast of Philadephia. I started woodworking in 2014 as a hobby and in tribute to my maternal great grandfather, Stephen Ernest Whidden. He was a carpenter and ran a carpentry shop on the North East corner of Broad Street and Lincoln Terrace in Peekskill New York back in the 1920s. My grandfather, Ernest Richard Whidden, built airplanes for a living, but in his spare time he enjoyed carpentry.
From Hobby to Family Business
In 2014, what began as a simple woodworking hobby slowly grew into a much larger part of supporting our growing family. As our passion for craftsmanship continued to grow, we narrowed our focus to handcrafted wooden pens and began experimenting with unique materials, custom designs, and small-batch production. What started at a small workbench quickly turned into late nights in the garage, weekends at craft shows, and learning how to turn creativity into a small business.
Over the years, we were incredibly fortunate to run several successful Kickstarter campaigns that helped introduce our handcrafted pens to supporters all over the country. Those early campaigns not only helped us grow the business financially, but also gave us the confidence to continue building Whidden’s Woodshop into something much bigger than we ever originally imagined.
Building the Woodshop
In 2020, while spending more time at home during the lockdowns, we purchased our first laser engraver and opened a whole new chapter of creating personalized gifts including ornaments, cutting boards, engraved pencils, and custom keepsakes. During that same year, we also transformed a small detached garage into the woodshop we still use today — building out a dedicated creative space for woodworking, engraving, and growing Whidden’s Woodshop as a family business.
Raising a Family of Makers & Artists
When Dad makes handcrafted pens and projects in the woodshop and Mom fills the house with paints, pens, fabric, and clay, it turns out you grow a family that loves to create! We love to make things together, share our projects with our friends and community, and teach & learn new skills
What began as a sweet birthday present for her little brother quickly blossomed into a week of stitching up a whole crew of fuzzy friends. Our daughter reached out for ideas and special orders and was met with a suggestion from a foster parent to create comforting critters for kids in foster care who face the scary task of testifying in court. We love this idea and she is springing into action to develop the idea into a club for kids to encourage other kids.
When our communities value Maker kids and give them a market for their creations, we show young people their creativity and ingenuity are important to us all! Our kids have been thrilled to find local business fairs for young people. They dream of growing these opportunities for fellow makers by hosting kid-friendly sales.
If you are looking for more information about our shop or have inquiries about wholesale/retail purchases, please use our contact form or contact us at whiddenswoodshop@gmail.com