Home Made

“The name Cottonwood comes from my grandpa’s farm. I wanted it to have meaning and a central purpose of family,” explains Cole Avery, owner and chief goods maker of Cottonwood Handmade Fine Leather Goods. Cottonwood Handmade officially emerged about three years ago, but working with leather has been a passion since he began making wallets “real low-key, just for fun” while attending App State. “I always enjoyed working with my hands, painting and drawing, so it felt natural.” Cole says, “What drew me to leather as a material to work with, was I could still be creative and design but I was making something people could actually use.” But there’s an artful balance to creating products and running a business per Cole: “I don’t want people to buy a bunch. The reason I make stuff is so people think about what they’re consuming and hopefully make smaller choices to buy handmade.” All the goods produced by Cottonwood are created with love and care by Cole’s own hands in a spacious garage studio just past downtown Boone in Vilas, NC. He shares the space with friend and fellow Boone artist, Will Graham. “That’s really unique to Boone, being able to connect with other makers and work with them and encourage the stuff they’re making. It’s not competitive and it’s been a really positive thing,” says Cole. Although, he doesn’t actually consider himself a boonie: “I think I need to put in more time.” Cole found a home in Boone when he and wife, Hannah, decided to drop anchor here. “I think Boone is so cool because there are so many different types of people coming in and contributing to this community of small business, artists and farmers. There's always going to be change but there are people supporting the good so you have to look for it.” The best place to look for Cottonwood Leather Goods is in Common Good Co. in Boone, or at the Watauga County Farmers Market where Cole says “it’s like getting to hang out with family every Saturday while also expanding my market.” Looking ahead, Cole hopes to facilitate a space for after-school workshops where kids can learn from local craftspeople. “I’m stoked on what I’m doing now, but I’d love to help people and give back as my job.”