Big Guy, Small Craft: Andrew

“Hey Andrew, how do you feel about allowing me to interview you on the creation of your earrings.” Silence— Then a soft sigh followed by a nervous “Sure, but don’t make me sound stupid.” Andrew is the Production Manager here at HDC. He runs all aspects of our shop from scheduling to wood purchasing. He is also a part-time student at Baylor University’s Truett Seminary getting a Masters of Divinity.

Andrew’s love for building didn’t begin as “love” at all. He started building because, like all newly grads, he was broke and needed furniture. With help from his father, Andrew built a desk. After that first desk, he built 20 more pieces of furniture by himself.

“I’ve always had a spirit of ‘You’ll figure it out. Just start somewhere.’”

Everyone working at Harp has a story about how they ended up at the company. Some of us stumbled upon the opportunity. Some of us heard they were hiring from word of mouth. When I asked Andrew, his story was somewhat similar to others: Personal connections. Through his church, he heard of “some guy” looking for woodworkers for a shop “somewhere in Waco.” Clint was just starting out. Harp Design Co. didn’t even have a name yet and nobody knew who he was.

Clint has been encouraging all of us in the company to make stuff. Anything— no limits. When Andrew was asked where he got the idea of making earrings, he laughed and grabbed the back of his neck to reflect. “I have a girlfriend who told me I should try earrings. I never thought I would be making jewelry,” he said. “But I’m not surprised either.”

“I think God delights in creating. I love that I get to play a roll by creating things that are beautiful and useful.”

I then asked Andrew if he would consider himself creative. He laughed again and humbly proclaimed “No, not really.” Since working at Harp, Andrew’s love for design has matured. Instead of just building, he is now creating through imagination.

Our Director of Marketing, Demi, asked Andrew to come to the office so she could snap a few photos of him making the earrings. We all sat in a circle around him as if he were telling us a gripping story of love lost. We watched his large hands carefully hold the tiny walnut squares then gently apply the tape, paint and set them aside to dry. Each pair takes about 15 minutes to make— that includes the milling, cutting, sanding, and gluing. Painting takes the longest.

“If these are going to be sold at Harp, I want them to be perfect. Not perfect in the sense as “flawless,” but perfect in a sense of these are handcrafted. I put care into them. You won’t find these anywhere else.”

Thanks for sharing your work with us, Andrew. Click here to view the earrings on our website!



From our home to yours,
Carmen Pruitt
& The Team at Harp Design Co