This journey started quite accidentally - with a bunch of wooden tulips I couldn’t get out of my head. Years ago, during a trip to Amsterdam, I spotted these bright pink wooden tulips at the airport. I remember thinking they were a bit pricey, so I didn’t buy them, and of course, as soon as I was on the plane home... instant regret. I didn't get over it, and when I got the chance for another jaunt to Amsterdam, I was straight back to the wooden tulip shop.
The Power of Piff-Paff
Those tulips became one of my most treasured pieces of piff-paff. They moved with me from house to house, even all the way to Singapore when we made a big move overseas. I was anxious about being so far from home and shipped a couple of boxes of my favorite home things: bright cushions, home decor bits, and even my beloved Orla Kiely Bravantia bin. (Husband Leigh was thrilled, as you can imagine 😂) These small touches helped me to create an instant pop-up home in our tiny white shoebox apartment. My tulips were centre stage and oh so cheerful, everyone who visited commented on them.
THE wooden tulips making our Singapore Condo a much happier space.
Inset: my boxes of piff-paff arriving.
Inset: my boxes of piff-paff arriving.
Emotional New Mum + Dying Flowers = Bad Combo
Our move back to the UK at the start of COVID was a whirlwind. I was heavily pregnant and keen not to be stranded so far from family so we hurriedly flew back. Once again, my boxes of piff-paff came with us. (Orla has a couple of new dents from the journey but she wears them well.) When our baby was born, Leigh surprised me with two big bunches of my favourite Sweet William flowers. Being an overwhelmed new mum, I was nap-trapped more often than not and remember feeling so emotional as I watched them wilt, guilty that I hadn't trimmed their stems or changed their water once. I cried when I threw them in my beautiful bin a few days later.
Maybe it was all the extra new baby hormones, but watching those beautiful flowers slowly die in a vase felt so sad.
Maybe it was all the extra new baby hormones, but watching those beautiful flowers slowly die in a vase felt so sad.
Newborn cuddles with baby Jonah and a beautiful vase of Sweet William that made me cry.
An Idea Takes Root
It got me thinking about those wooden tulips again. They’d always been there, sparking joy. Zero effort, zero guilt. Christmas was approaching and I thought some everlasting flowers would make a cute happy gift for friends and family. When I started hunting around online, I was surprised I couldn’t find anything similar? I expected to find some lovely design-lead wooden flowers but that just didn’t seem to be a thing!? Everything I found was small, flimsy and lacked the same boldness and oomph that I was looking for. That was the lighbulb moment when the idea for Poppily really took root.
My Next Level DIY Project
So, one day whilst feeling emboldened from a lack of sleep, I decided to go for it and create my own Little Wooden Florist. As a graphic designer, I’ve got experience in lots of the areas that I would need to call upon: branding, web design, marketing, etc. But I was concerned about one particularly vast knowledge gap… woodworking. I could barely use a drill, and my idea of a DIY project was building IKEA drawers. I pushed that to the back of my mind and took the plunge. After much research I ordered a kit-build CNC machine, which was like a huge, complex Meccano set, and while my baby napped, I sat and built this machine piece by piece, picking my way through all the terrifying terminology like ‘g-code,’ ‘calibration,’ and ‘anti-backlash nut block.’ (Gulp!)
My completed Ooznest Workbee CNC machine and me building it while Jonah napped.
One Heck Of A Learning Curve!
Little did I know what I'd got myself into. Roll on a couple of years and another house move... it's been a heck of a learning curve trying to master this new craft. Now I have a garage workshop full of ALLLLL the tools including a woodturning lathe, a pillar drill and a mini chop saw. I've spent countless hours feeling like a wally on woodworking forums, and my husband has had to deal with a fair few meltdowns when I've hit a roadblock I didn’t know how to solve. But I’ve learned so much—not just about woodworking but also about myself and my own resilience. ♥️
My early efforts carving details in wood with the CNC. It's been a learning curve!
Wooden Flowers: Made With Love
Eventually, after sooo many failed attempts and 'back to the drawing boards' I started to get the hang of these new skills. It happened so slowly and gradually, a bit like a toddler growing up when you suddenly realise how big they've got. Every small win gave me a little more confidence to carry on until my flowers started to look ok. Then pretty good. Then actually rather lovely! Digging out pics for this blog post was quite satisfying as I can really appreciate how far I've come. Finally in March 2024 I was ready to put my website live and let the world in to my dream.
That's more like it! Finished Poppily Maple Flower Bouquets in 'Blush Crush' and 'Violet Fizz' colours.
A Little Wooden Florist Is Born
Each flower is crafted by myself here in Cheshire, using sustainable materials that are kind to the planet. I’ve invested so much time and care figuring out the right processes and materials, as well as all the trimmings (like cute packaging) to make sure that giving and receiving our blooms is the most joyful experience. Poppily is truly my second baby. While my first is somehow getting ready to start school in a couple of weeks, this baby is also ready to find its place in the world. Poppily wooden flowers are designed to be more than just cute decor. I hope that they’re happy reminders of the moments that matter.
Here to spread joy - no care and attention required!
Poppily Gift Packaging is 100% plastic free | Me demoing how to arrange blooms in a vintage jug.