Sage, at age 15, cuts ornaments on his DeWalt scroll saw.
Young entrepreneur launches business built around the scroll saw
Nineteen-year-old Sage Aronson is majoring in neuroscience at Oberlin College in Ohio. Sage is also a seasoned entrepreneur who won a top business award while still in high school. Before graduation, Sage landed a contract with L.L. Bean and offered meaningful employment to the mentally handicapped.
After tinkering with the saw for a few months, Sage attended a craft festival in Maine where he met Horace Varnum. “Horace had this elaborate display of intricate ornaments made on a scroll saw,” Sage said. “I must have stood at his booth talking his ear off for a good hour, stunned by the level of detail in his work. Horace invited me over to his shop where he took me under his wing and shared his trade secrets. He also gave me a couple of patterns to get me started. It was incredibly generous of him to show me the ropes like that.
Sage quickly assimilated and processed the newfound knowledge. Then, he turned around and started his own company called Sage Woods, specializing in ornaments. He began selling his ornaments at small craft shows and niche wholesale outlets.
“At first it was purely for enjoyment,” Sage said with a laugh. “I was so proud of the fact I could make these ornaments. The craft fairs helped hone in my people skills and going after the wholesale orders forced me to throw my shy inhibitions to the wind.
Experience quickly taught Sage that niche markets, such as pedigree dogs, horses, and llamas, sold best. The ambitious youth designed about fifty different dog ornaments, a dozen horses, and ten llamas/alpacas. Sage also created seventy additional patterns outside the niche markets.
300 Christian & Inspirational Patterns for the Scroll Saw | Holiday Ornaments for the Scroll Saw | Compound Christmas Ornaments
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Ornament patterns
