Dawn Weaver of Weaver Woodworks began making cutting boards and charcuterie boards by hand following a 25-year career as a graphic designer and art director. Woodworking runs in her family, and she was involved in art while in high school and college.
“My grandfather was an amazing woodworker, as is my father,” she explains. “As a kid, I loved being around the wood shop, and they both inspired me at a young age.”
She became interested in woodworking in 2021, after her family moved to a new home with an unfinished garage.
“[The garage] was just 2-by-4s with no insulation or anything. I decided to get my brother-in-law to help me finish it out,” Weaver says. “Once that was completed, I wanted to design and build my own storage shelving. So, I just started looking up inspiration on YouTube. Sure enough, I was able to do what I wanted to do as far as getting the storage completed.”
While she nailed the garage renovation, she eventually “went down a major rabbit hole of how to build a cutting board” and became a part of BARN (Bainbridge Artists and Resource Network). She also wanted to pursue glasswork at BARN. However, she shares, “I ended up going into the wood shop and never came out. So, I’ve become known as the cutting board guru at BARN. And, in fact, they recently asked me to start teaching classes.”
In addition to creating a variety of cutting boards, Weaver makes serving trays, or charcuterie boards, that can be used either for serving or display.
“Generally, those are not recommended for cutting,” she says. “Those are mostly created from a solid plank of live-edge wood with a nice shape and possibly a handle, letting the gorgeous woodgrain be the star. I’ve also started working with epoxy in a variety of colors. They look like a mini version of river tables and are quite fun to make. I’ve been experimenting with multicolors at one time, which is really challenging at times. All the boards (for serving or cutting) are finished with food-safe materials.”
Once finished, Weaver sells. Two buyers, JJ Johnson and Anna Carson, explain their purchases and what they like about Weaver’s pieces.
JJ Johnson, the owner of Wanderlust NW Catering Co., bought two small charcuterie boards and a large one from Weaver. “I kind of commissioned her to do a 5-foot piece for me: a really big show piece. It’s just gorgeous,” Johnson says. “What’s cool about it is it has multipurposes. It can be a bar top … or I can put actual food on it.” Johnson also admires that Weaver “puts her heart into her work, and it kind of shows with the beauty of what comes out of her shop.”
Anna Carson, another client, recently purchased a cutting board that she described as gorgeous. “I love all of her work. They’re all so beautiful,” Carson says. “My favorite thing about all of the stuff that she does is they’re just so unique looking.”
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