Article & photo credit: Doris Knutson Northern Light Region, March 15, 2017
At Enchanted Cottage, Lynn Furbish makes everything old new again
While many crafters who repurpose items get their inspiration from places like Pinterest, Etsy and Facebook, Lynn Furbish finds her greatest inspiration in the item itself. She often knows what she will create out of a particular item as soon as she sees it.
“A lot has to do with the uniqueness of the item,” Furbish said.
“I see it and I know it can be something.”
Always artistic and crafty, Furbish began repurposing and selling those items in 2014.
For the past 24 years, she has had a gift shop at her home north of Baudette, where she has sold handmade crafts. In recent years, she has begun to add these repurposed items to her shop at home, and for the last year or so, sells her crafts at Enchanted Cottage, her shop located in Cafe X on Main Avenue in Baudette.
“I’ve always liked doing crafts,” Furbish said, adding that when she began creating her handmade treasures, “repurposing wasn’t a thing then.”
She creates gift items out of old windows and doors, headboards and footboards, silverware, tea cups and much more.
Old windows can become picture frames or wall art, while doors can be remade into hall trees and antique headboards and footboards make unique benches. Old silverware, tea cups and tea pots are now unique garden art.
Furbish often purchases the items she will repurpose from yard sales and thrift shops, but some is given to her or sold by individuals.
Husband Ted often helps her with the larger items, and daughter Jamie sometimes lends a hand in the creation of the gifts as well.
One of the more unique, and definitely one of the most sentimental, items Furbish has created was the bouquet her daughter-in-law carried at her wedding to Furbishes’ son Josh in 2012.
The bouquet was made entirely of old broaches that were previously owned by the bride’s mom, aunts and grandma, as well as the groom’s mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.
“Many of the items I pick to repurpose remind me of my grandparents,” said Furbish.
“And usually, almost everyone who buys something from me tells me why,” she continued.
“‘My grandma had this suitcase,’ or ‘my dad carried that lunchbox.’
“They always have a story. It seems there is something that is connected to their past that draws them to a particular item.”
In addition to the wide variety of repurposed and handmade gift items, Enchanted Cottage also features green plants for sale, as well as cut flowers for special occasions and tuxedo rentals.
The shop is open every Saturday, and by appointment Monday through Friday. To make a weekday appointment to browse the many unique items at Enchanted Cottage, call Lynn Furbish at 218-634-2256.
