Meet Cathy Harms: Thinker + Designer

The work you see here—including the educational toy line and a variety of furniture, kitchen décor, and commission work—combines my love of tinkering, woodworking, and creating fun and engaging learning experiences for children.

When I was introduced to metalsmithing at the University of Iowa, I instantly fell in love with the shop environment. I furthered my design skills with coursework at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, and in the years since, have honed my skills and drawn inspiration from my diverse roles as an editor, marketer, community builder, parent, and student of other artisans. 

My work has been featured in the June 2021 issue of Fine Woodworking Magazine and my educational toys named "Etsy Finds". I also teach toymaking workshops, which began at Kid Lab, a makerspace for kids.

The handmade wood educational toys are designed to actively engage body and mind, help develop fine motor skills, and provide a fun literacy/math experience. Learning activities should be fun, interactive, and interesting, which is what I strive for when making educational toys.

The furniture, cutting boards, pens, and other woodworking projects are also made with love and dedication to the finer points of design, form, and function. Every piece is handmade in my woodworking shop.

A thinker and a designer: These words summarize my passion to traverse the mediums of wood and metal. My goal for each piece is a well-constructed design that prove that superior function and great design work hand in hand.