HANDMADE IN BOLTON
Handmade Wooden Gifts for Home & Garden
Welcome! I’m Phil, and everything here is made to order in my Bolton Workshop, from sturdy bird tables and planters to handpainted bird boxes and quirky wooden animals that people love giving as gifts.
Have a look around, and if something catches your eye, just drop me a line.
Choose your range
Bird Tables & Planters
From £69
Sturdy, practical and built to last. Perfect for your garden.
Quality timber
built to last
Built by hand
in Bolton
Made to
order
Free delivery
within 5 miles
Bird Tables & Planters
5ft bird table
£69
6ft bird table
£74
Rectangular ‘pie crust’ planter
£39
Square ‘chunky’ planter
£49
5ft bird table: 5ft tall, 10 × 10 in feeding area
6ft bird table: 6ft tall, 13 × 13 in feeding area
Sturdy base: 4″ × 2″ pine cross base, wider than the table, sits on the ground
Rectangular planter: 67 × 37 × 28 cm outside, 52 × 22 × 18 cm planting area
Square chunky planter: 55 × 50 × 33 cm including handles and feet, 41 × 41 × 20 cm planting area
Built-in liner: water drains through the gaps in the wood. Suitable for herbs and veg. Easy for one adult to carry empty, two when full.
Materials: Quality timber, ACQ pressure-treated, delivered ready-built and unfinished (for your own staining)
Your bird table and planters are made from ACQ pressure-treated timber, which helps protect against rot and decay.
Want to stain it? Let the timber dry and weather first, usually around 6–8 weeks depending on the weather. Test it by sprinkling a few drops of water: if they soak in, it’s ready; if they bead up, give it longer.
Always follow the stain maker’s instructions and try a small hidden patch first.
How it works: send your enquiry, I confirm your order and email an invoice, then I build it. Allow 7–10 days.
Payment: under £100, pay in full before work begins. £100 or more, 50% deposit, with the balance due before delivery or collection. Paid through my secure online portal.
Delivery from BL4: free within 5 miles, £10 from 5 to 10 miles, collection only beyond that. I don’t use couriers, which keeps costs down.
Collection: by arrangement once your order is built, treated and dry.
Pop your postcode in the form when ordering and I’ll confirm your delivery charge.
Birdphone
Private Nest Box
Bird Office
Three British icons, hand-painted and made to order. Put one up in autumn / winter, and the birds can find it before nesting season.
Bird Boxes
£55 EACH
Predator-resistant hasp for extra security
Hinged roof for easy cleaning
Two coats of exterior paint for lasting protection
Red Telephone Box “Birdphone”
13″ H × 7″ W × 7″ D (33 × 18 × 18 cm), 2 kg
Police Box
“Private Nest Box” (blue): 14.5″ H × 6.5″ W × 7″ D (37 × 16.5 × 18 cm), 1.5 kg
Post Box
“Bird Office”: 13″ H × 6″ W × 7″ D (33 × 15 × 18 cm), 2 kg
All three:
32 mm entry hole, suits blue tits, great tits and house sparrows. Hanging hook included.
Hand-painted: every sign is hand-painted, so no two are identical.
Made to order: I hold no stock.
Hand-finished: planed redwood, two coats of exterior paint, then an exterior varnish. The inside is left untreated.
Dry and well ventilated: roof overhang, ventilation and drainage holes.
Securely closed: hasp, staple and carabiner clip keep the roof firmly shut.
Easy to clean: hinged roof, or undo the four screws in the base.
Dowel perch: glued through the box, inside and out. It doesn’t restrict movement inside. Birds don’t need a perch, so I recommend siting the box out of reach of cats and climbing predators (see “Putting it up”).
Timber: planed redwood.
Ready to hang: fully built, nothing to assemble.
Fixing: use the supplied hook on a flat wall or fence. For a tree or other curved surface, you’ll need a securing plate (not included).
Siting: a sheltered spot facing roughly north to east, out of strong sun and wind, about 2–4 m up, with a clear flight path and no branches or ledges a cat or magpie could use.
When: autumn to late winter is ideal, so birds can find it before nesting season.
Cleaning: only after nesting has finished (typically September to January). Open the hinged roof or undo the base screws, remove the old nest, scald with boiling water (no chemicals) and let it dry.
Upkeep:Â refresh the varnish when it starts to look dull, roughly every year or two. Adjust that interval to your own experience.
Every box is made to order. Send your enquiry, I confirm and email an invoice, then I build it. Allow 7–10 days.
Payment: under £100, pay in full before I start. £100 or more (for example two boxes), a 50% deposit, with the balance due before delivery or collection.
Local delivery from BL4: free within 5 miles, £10 from 5 to 10 miles, collection only beyond that.
Posted: £8 UK, £35 rest of the world.
Collection: by arrangement.
Pop your postcode in the form and I’ll confirm your delivery charge.
Novelty Wooden Animals
Any single animal £35, or £38 with a name tag
Quirky, handpainted wooden animals, each with a personality of their own. Perfect for gifts, home or garden.
Add-ons
Name tags: £3 on a single animal (so £38), or £5 covers all tags in a set
Baby owl: add a baby owl to any Ollie or Olivia order for £20
– About 7″ (18 cm) tall. Baby Oscar is slightly smaller.
– Hand-painted in acrylics and sealed with a clear varnish.
– Made from MDF and pine, from a family-run merchant that stocks FSC-certified timber.
– Each one is hand-painted, so no two are identical.
– Secure hook on the back, ready to hang.
– A 5 cm round wooden tag, hand-lettered, fixed securely to your animal.
– Up to 10 characters per line, over 2 lines.
– Lovely for new babies (name and birth date), children’s gifts and keepsakes.
– £3 on a single animal (so £38). £5 covers all the tags on a set. The Graduation Owl includes both tags.
– How to order: choose your animal, tick name tag, and type your wording in the form.
– Sealed with protective varnish. Happiest indoors, in porches and on sheltered patios.
– Bring it under cover in severe winter weather or heavy downpours to keep the colours fresh.
– Every animal is made to order. Send your enquiry, I confirm and email an invoice, then I build it. Allow 7–10 days, so the paint and varnish can set properly.
– Payment: under £100, pay in full before I start. £100 or more, a 50% deposit, with the balance due before delivery or collection.
– Local delivery from BL4: free within 5 miles, £10 from 5 to 10 miles, collection only beyond that.
– Posted worldwide: postage depends on the size of your order. I’ll confirm the cost before I send your invoice.
– Collection: by arrangement.
MEET THE MAKER
Made one at a time in my Bolton workshop
Each piece is completely crafted by hand using quality timber and finished to a high standard.
It’s a labour of love and I hope you’ll be proud to own a piece of my work.
— Phil
Ready to order or have a question?
1
Tell me what you’d like
Let me know the item size, any details or questions.
2
I’ll email you to confirm and send your invoice
I’ll get back to you with a total and next steps.
3
I build it, then you collect, I deliver, or I post it.
Your piece is made and I’ll let you know when it’s ready.