Etsy Find: Birch Plywood Lounge Chair

It’s been a little while since I posted an Etsy find. The recent resurgence in my coaster sales — about four set in as many days — has me looking at Etsy again.

This time I have for your viewing pleasure a lovely Scandinavian-influenced birch plywood lounge chair.

This chair made by Michaelarras is somewhat reminiscent of Knolls Armless Risom Lounge Chair. I actually like Michaelarras’s chair a bit better. The base makes it look a bit stronger than the Knoll. It sells for $400 on Etsy, roughly half of the Knoll chair. The chairs are custom made for you; so you can choose the webbing color.

You know how I feel about Etsy. Buy hand made, help an artist and often get quality, craftsmanship and value seldom seen in anything mass-produced.

Mini Valentine Gift Guide

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner — seven short days left. I thought I would help you guy’s stay out of trouble by steering you in the right direction.I have picked several Etsy items that I’m sure your valentine will love.

Sweetheart Candy Box HatBy: Terry Graziano Hats
If your valentine is at all like mine, then she loves hats. This is a great hat. It can be worn in a multitude of ways so it’s like buying several hats in one. Terry Graziano Hats are very well made. The Sweetheart Candy Box Hat is constructed of lightweight wool and lined with silk. It even comes in it’s own hatbox!


Say Anything Note CardBy: Annie Cho
Valentine’s Day means Valentine Cards. This one by Annie Cho is perfect. I know my valentine and I enjoy 80’s movies and Say Anything is classic. I like the fact that this card has the simple Lloyd Dobler (john Cusack) image and nothing else. You are free to deliver any message you would like and Lloyd and his boom box are there to back you up.

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Faceted 50’s Vintage Glass Button RingBy: Mom O Matic’s AUTOMAT
You can never lose with jewelry on Valentine’s Day. This cherry red ring is made from a 50’s glass button. It’s adjustable so it will fit your valentine and it’s inexpensive so it will fit your budget.

Starbucks Gift Card Coasters

Ok, so in addition to being a super eco-friendly product, this post is pure shameless self-promotion. I want to be honest right up front and say that I make these coasters and sell them on Etsy.com. My wife and I sell several handcrafted items that we produce in our home. Crafting can be a fun and rewarding experience.

These coasters are made by cutting spent gift cards and arranging them in mosaic patterns. They are then laminated to cork creating quite functional coasters. You can now protect your furniture and the environment at the same time. Most gift cards are not recyclable so finding alternative uses for them prevents them from ending up in landfills.

The World of Etsy

Etsy has been around for a couple of years but I’m still surprised buy how many people don’t know about it. Etsy is a site like EBay but it’s not an auction site. The sellers set the price and the best part is that nearly everything is handmade. There is a section for vintage items but the vast majority is handmade. One thing I have noticed is that most of the items are of exceptional quality and reasonably priced. I have found in my Etsy adventures that most sellers are honest craftsmen -- yes that’s right, people that actually care about the things they produce.

You could buy this whole room of handsome minimalist modern by Lunar Lounge Design furniture for less than a single piece from Design Within Reach.