Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Allie Woods. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Allie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

One aspect that truly motivates and fuels my passion is the incredible privilege of crafting heartfelt and significant gifts. It is the act of creating something so special that it evokes tears of joy and emotional connection when opened. These are the true treasures that hold immeasurable value.

Recently, I had the honor of taking a late mother’s handwritten message and engraving it onto several clear acrylic ornaments, the words “I love you.” These were then gifted to siblings, symbolizing a lasting connection and preserving a memory in a tangible form.

Another beautiful opportunity I had was the honor of taking a grandmother’s handwritten recipe and engraved it into cutting boards. These cutting boards, proudly displayed year-round, became more than just instructions for a meal – they became beautiful representations of family heritage and tradition all while simultaneously bringing wonderful memories to mind.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi! I’m Allie from The 414 Mercantile! From my grandparents, to my parents and their siblings, creativity runs deep in our family, it’s literally in our blood. It has always been a part of my life that brings me joy, fulfillment, and keeps my heart beating.

Before venturing into our small business, I pursued a career in early childhood education. Teaching preschool and pre-kindergarten helped fulfill my creative itch. Engaging with littles and witnessing their creations come to life was so dear to me.

When my husband and I purchased a house that required a complete renovation, I was beyond thrilled. The opportunity to design and remodel the house was a dream come true. It allowed me to further explore my creative talents and put them into practice, whether it be painting a wall or picking out butcher block countertops and white cabinets to match.

In 2015, motherhood became a new chapter in my life. Being able to stay home with my son while continuing to work on house projects brought me so much joy. It was during this time, after the birth of our second son in 2018, that I decided to delve into the world of crafting by purchasing a Cricut machine. I started by making front porch signs for gifts and the positive feedback from family and friends was so incredibly encouraging.

As I spent countless nights up late feeding our newborn, scrolling on social media, an idea began to take shape in my mind. I followed tons of different makers which gave me a burning desire inside to take this dream one step further. If they could do it, why couldn’t I?! This is when I realized my passion for crafting could turn into something more constant and substantial all while being home raising my boys. That’s when I decided to create a Facebook business page; which quickly gained traction and success.

In 2021, our family welcomed our third son, and it quickly became evident that we had outgrown our sweet little home. We made the decision to move to a larger house that could accommodate our growing family. Little did I know what this move would present.

For years, my heart’s desire was to expand my creative horizons by investing in a laser engraver, but the timing and space never aligned. However, with our new home boasting a dedicated office space, my husband and I recognized the signs and prayed fervently over this dream. We truly believed it was God’s will, and it seemed like the perfect way for me to continue staying home with our boys. With immense excitement, we decided to seize the moment and we purchased our laser engraver!

With all that being said, we received our Aeon Mira 7 laser at the end of September and began our family business, The 414 Mercantile, in October of 2022. We love to make signage for other small businesses near and far. We’ve made logo signs, QR code signs, tumblers with business logos, ornaments, beanies and baseball caps. Like mentioned earlier, we love to make sentimental gifts like recipe boards or hand drawn messages displayed on tumblers or hats. We can work with a large variety of materials – our main materials being leatherette, wood, acrylic, & powder coated tumblers. We make keychains, gifts for engagements, weddings, housewarmings, babies, kiddos, you name it! We love to throw words of affirmation on pencils and make gifts for teachers. Holiday gifts are our jam.

We strive for perfection all while including our kids in the process. Jeff usually gets all our wood and presses the hats and plays with our kiddos when mama’s tied up in projects. Our oldest son loves to use the air compressor to blow off the dust from our wooden projects. Our middle man is the best at cleaning hat patches. & our littlest guy, well, he likes to be our little model man and take trips with mom to the post office for deliveries. Through our experience, our children get to witness the effort and determination we put into every aspect of our work, from creating unique products to managing the business side of things. We hope to teach our children the importance of perseverance, discipline, and the fulfillment that comes from pursing one’s passions. We hope to inspire them to explore their own passions and find ways to turn them into meaningful careers.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I would have to say the goal that drives my mission is to be able to stay home with my kids. Growing up with my mom being home with us every day, I developed a strong desire to follow in her footsteps and be present for my own children. It became a lifelong aspiration of mine. I believe God has blessed me with a creative talent that I am very passionate about. If I can utilize this talent to generate income while being able to stay home with my kids, it’s the perfect combo – a win win. I am able to pursue my passions but also have the privilege of raising and nurturing my babies.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Being able to create something meaningful & special for someone is truly the most rewarding aspect of being a creative person. Knowing that our creations have the power to touch people’s hearts or bring a smile to their face, is extremely gratifying. Nothing beats seeing the joy in someone’s eyes or hearing their enthusiasm over something we have created. These experiences keep us motivated and push us to continue creating meaningful works of art.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @The414Mercantile
• Facebook: The 414 Mercantile

Image Credits
Photos captured by JCalls Photography @JCallsPhotography