Local Family Creating Beautiful Woodworking Art
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In January 2022, Tilton residents Rachel Cundiff and her husband Adam started ‘Three Tree Creations’. “Adam is the woodworker behind all of the projects and I help run the business,” Rachel told us. “Adam likes to say “you tell me what I need and I will build it.”
The couple have been dreaming of starting a woodworking business for a few years and as Adam got more into the craft and perfecting his skills, they knew it was the right time. “Adam works full time at UPS and I am a stay at home mom with our son and soon to be second child come October.”
The seed for starting a woodworking business was planted when Adam and his twin brother Darren lived together for seven years. “One day, Darren told him they should turn the garage into a wood shop,” Cundiff said. “Adam and Darren built some of their own furniture because they couldn’t afford to buy all new.”
When Adam and Rachel met, Adam said that Rachel always pushed him to become better. When she was pregnant with their son, this made Adam want to strive toward being able to call himself a master woodworker. “This is when he built our son’s crib, dresser and his first Ted’s Toy.”
The name ‘Three Tree Creations’ came from a book called ‘The Tale of Three Trees’. For their baby shower, Rachel asked for books instead of cards and that book was given to the couple by Adam’s Grandma and Grandpa Pettice.
“As we were trying to decide a name, this book kept coming back to our mind. The book is about three trees that dreamed of what they would be when they grew big and tall one day,” Rachel said. “All the trees became an important part in the story of Jesus. Adam’s Grandpa Pettice was also a woodworker and the name seemed perfect for our business.”
Since Adam has been woodworking, he has made various items, including TV consuls, headboards, nightstands, end tables, a memorial bench, and a Ford tailgate bench. “He’s also made our dining room table, our son’s crib and dresser. The list does not end just with these items.”
With all of the things that Adam has made, one that he has yet to make is a Sam Maloof inspired rocking chair. Maloof was a furniture designer and woodworker. Maloof’s work is in the collections of several major American museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Maloof, the first craftsman to receive a MacArthur fellowship, was described by The New York Times as “a central figure in the postwar American crafts movement”.
“Adam calls him the Godfather of woodworking and is someone other than his Grandpa Cundiff and Grandpa Pettice that he looks up to in woodworking,” Rachel said.
Being a small business, supporting others also involved in small business helps each other. The domestic woods used in their projects – woods such as walnut, cherry, and maple are purchased from a local sawyer. “Adam tries to use wood for every part of the project, but there are times that it will require screws and not a wood substitute.”
Recently, Adam made a memorial bench for a friend who had a family member pass away. “Not only did the bench challenge Adam’s skills, but the weight of what this meant for the family was over him throughout the build.”
A cutting or charcuterie board order can usually be fulfilled within one to two days. With Adam working full-time at UPS, custom orders can take up to a month due to the limited time that he has in the shop between work and spending time with family.
Custom orders are usually anything the customer wants, so it depends on the request for the time frame. If you would like to have an order created by Three Tree Creations, you can reach Rachel or Adam by phone at 217-799-9784, by email at threetreecreation@gmail.com or by message on their Facebook page ‘Three Tree Creations’.
