Welcome to Woods & Crafts!

Hello and welcome!

My very first post! An introduction one might say. I remember every time I would introduce myself to any classes I’ve had, I would get the initial butterfly feelings in my stomach, anticipating each time a person says their introduction and on to the next. Well, this is one of those introductions but thank god I am just in front of my laptop and our dog gizmo! I will keep it as short as possible and hope you get to know me and our store more after this.

My family migrated in Toronto, Canada in 2008 from the Philippines. It was a need for my parents to move us – the kids – to a place where we could find better opportunities, as any parents would hope for their kids. “More opportunities in Canada,” as they would say. “Tough” was the word that encapsulated our transition to Canada.  For the first several months, my parents and my 5 other siblings had to adjust to many things. Work, weather (oh yes hello winter of 08-09), friends, and getting around the city were some of the many things we had to slowly adjust when we arrived.

After some time, we all acclimated. We went to schools, became citizens, started professional careers, made lots of friends, moved around the city and the province, and became part of this rich cultural landscape we now call home.

However, despite fully acclimating, there was a sense of still trying to find my identity. There were times of confusion, loss, rebirth, and longing for my “Filipino-ness”. As I got older in my late 20s, I started going back to my roots and really appreciated the beauty of our different languages (dialects), arts, and traditions. As part of those discoveries, I found myself looking for more things around the house that reminds me of “back home”. Specifically, homeware and decors that are natural and comforting to be around.

Here we are in 2020 and well.. 2020 is (surprise surprise) an interesting year. Personally, it is the hardest year in my life (as with most people) but also opened up many opportunities. With my continuous curiosity in finding my roots and elevating Filipino culture, I am launching my store with the help of my mother who’s been working with Filipino artisans for over 20 years.

We are a store that provides homeware and décor that would complement homes in Canada. These wooden products are made by artisan families whose livelihood solely relied on woodworking and wickerwork for many generations. What’s more, all of our homeware and decors are made from wood and natural fibres native to the Philippines. These make our products a unique culmination of the Philippines’ own natural resources, ingenuity, and identity. They are built to last for many years, beautiful and would suite well in any living spaces. We also aim to preserve our artisan’s traditional woodworking and wickerwork and provide more livelihood to them and their local community.

My mission, as a first-generation Filipino immigrant and business owner in Canada, is to bring the pride and authentic voice of Filipino craftsmanship, culture, and creativity to households in Canada.

Welcome to Woods & Crafts.

Carlo Castañeda