What is Wallflower Home & Garden?

Wallflower Home & Garden is my collection of handcrafted wood and metal pieces. I create dimensional art for your walls, functional art pieces like wall pockets and fun pieces like metal bunting banners. I add dimension and texture to the metal by punching designs onto the pieces and applying various patinas. The designs have a nostalgic feel; I call it a fresh take on a vintage vibe.  

I started punching metal when my adult son made a pine pie safe. I wanted to buy tin panels for it, but I couldn’t find any locally and the ones online were limited in style and size. I decided to make my own, which is my “usual” decision since I have five children and the budget rarely lets me buy new.

I went to the hardware store and bought some metal flashing, borrowed a quilt pattern I liked and started hammering away. And I mean hammering! I remember thinking: “This is so hard - no wonder nobody does this!” 

I had no idea about metal thickness at the time. I’ve always been a stickler for doing things the proper way, and I was struggling to get my design to work with the traditional tin punch methods. So, I decided I was done doing things the way you are “supposed” to do them and to forget the rules and just make it for me.  

That was a turning point for my life in so many ways. Instead of making and doing everything the way I was supposed to, I started becoming the authentic me and making things because they brought me joy. 

My business came about from a random visit to a home décor shop. They were looking for someone to collaborate with another artisan to supply tin panels for their bread boxes. I went home, made some tin panels and a few other items, brought them back to the store, they bought them and a business was born. I am so grateful for the encouragement and support from this particular owner and her staff.

Who makes Wallflower Home & Garden?

My name is Sharon, and I live Stony Plain, Alberta (that's in Canada) - a small town just west of Edmonton. I love working with hard and rusty metal and making something visually soft and beautiful out of it. I also enjoy refurbishing old things and creating new use for them, making something both functional and pretty. As a tried and true introvert, putting myself out there and putting my work on display is hard...like really hard. That's sort of where the inspiration for my business name and style comes from - it's not the flashy, centre of attention; it's the subtle, interesting piece over in the corner.

I love beautiful things. These days, loving “things” doesn’t seem like the most popular opinion. You’re supposed to love unique experiences and bold adventures and far-off travels, but I don't see why you can’t also love a picture frame or a bookcase or a birdhouse. Sometimes the things that bring you the most joy are simple, small discoveries.