ONE OF A KIND

Beautifully hand crafted Tables, Bar Tops, Bookcases, Built-Ins, Cutting Boards, Charcuterie Boards, Keepsake Boxes and much, much more...custom made for you in our little shop in Ames, Iowa.

We’ve been designing, creating, and building in Ames, Iowa for quite a while. With such a legacy in the business, we understand that great craftsmanship requires time, patience, attention to detail, and quality materials. These ingredients go into every piece we craft. HeRo Creations are original, built by hand to last the test of time...for you.
Custom pieces are what we do. If you can dream it up, we can make it happen. We are ready to make your vision a reality, let's get started.

Home: Welcome

The Shamrock Board - this one is leaving the shop tomorrow morning…destined for its forever home.

How do you like this one?

Get one for yourself at the HeRo Creations Store on Etsy.

https://herocreationsstore.etsy.com/listing/1688460295

#celtic #charcuterie #cuttingboard #irish

The Steph table is available in a variety of wood species. You can get yours in Walnut, White Oak, Cherry, Maple…the list goes on!!

It will be shipped right to your door and after a very simple assembly, you can enjoy the beauty of your new favorite table. It is built to last generations.

Get yours now:

https://herocreationsstore.etsy.com/listing/4350212516

#table #décor #tables #beautiful #beatifultables

I carved a lightning pattern with my CNC on a panel I made with Sapele. This is going to be a charcuterie board after a little more sanding and finishing.

What do you think of my technique? Carve, scorch with a torch, then epoxy fill. It gives the fill a lot of depth by doing the scorch, don’t you think?

https://herocreationsstore.etsy.com

#woodworking #epoxyart #charcuterie

Introducing the “Steph” side table by HeRo Creations. Shipped straight to your home for free.

https://herocreationsstore.etsy.com/listing/4350212516

#endtables #furniture #customfurniture

How did you get started with woodworking? It’s the question that I hear a lot. The answer: In the late eighties and early nineties, I discovered and became obsessed with The New Yankee Workshop and This Old House. Norm Abram made everything seem so accessible that I thought, “even I could do this”. Thank you Russell Morash for bringing Norm into our lives. Am I right, fellow woodworkers? #woodwork #woodworking #woodworker

A custom designed twelve bottle wine rack. I did this one in Walnut and did the inlays in Cherry.
My client commissioned this piece as a birthday gift for his wife. I did a big project for them a couple years ago and he came back to me with this request…”can you do a unique wine rack for her that would be real special?” I think I hit the mark.
I was even lucky enough to deliver and present it to her on her birthday!

www.herocreations2020.com

#wine #winerackdesign #winerack #customwoodwork

A cool entertainment center we did for a client who had a real vision for what they wanted. It was a fun one to do…very challenging. The bow front lower floating cabinet was a real test.

Thank you Becky & Derrel for trusting us to bring your vision to reality.

A fun entertainment center we did for a client a while back. The bow front of the lower floating cabinet was a challenge but we were able to make it happen.

Thank you Becky & Derrel for trusting HeRo Creations to help bring your vision to reality. This was a fun one!

Www.herocreations2020.com

#woodworking #customcabinetmaker #customcabinetrydesign

Still the most popular item in my Etsy store. Want one of these mahogany beauties? Find it here:

https://herocreationsstore.etsy.com

These are still my most popular items in my Etsy store. Interested in one of the beauties?

This link will take you there: https://herocreationsstore.etsy.com

#celtic #irish #etsy #cross

Do you use standoffs to keep your cabinet doors off the bench when sanding? How about flexible sandpaper? I find them both very useful and make the job a little easier.
What’s going on in your shop today?
#woodworking #cabinetmaking #furnituremaking

Custom made oak kitchen cabinets and a custom bathroom vanity getting made for a client today. Finished up the cabinets boxes, or as we call them, the “carcasses” (I know, it sounds very Halloween-like). Next up, is to make the shaker style doors, drawer faces and the drawer boxes.

When a client has an idea of what they want in their house and can’t find that “thing” anywhere…they call me and I make it for them…yep, that’s what I do.

Custom made “things” for you 😀

My wife is hilariuos!!! This is what I just found in our guest bathroom.

Come see us today at Torrent Brewing Company between 11:00 and 5:00.

Grab a beer and even better, grab a new magnetic bottle opener and some coasters!

#torrentbrewingcompany #beatifullandmarket #torrentbrewingco #beatifulland

Come see us at Torrent Brewing Company in Ames, IA tomorrow (Saturday October 26th). We will be featuring some new products and some old favorites.

Come on by between 11:00am and 5:00pm…

Grab a beer and some cool items from us and all of the other makers who will be sharing their amazing stuff.

#beatifulland #beatifullandmarket #torrentbrewingco #torrentbrewingcompany #woodworking #flightboard #flightboards #bourbon

Come and see us at the Beautiful Land Pop-Up Market on Sunday October 6th between 11:00am and 4:00pm.

The Beautiful Land Pop-Up Market - October 6th -this weekend only!!
Come out and see all that we and all of the local businesses have to offer!! It’s gonna be a beautiful day!

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/Pgw8TfQ6RBAqGVRT/?mibextid=K35XfP

Just completed my work on a custom made wall hanging cabinet to display a collector’s baseball bats. I hear he has some pretty rare ones. I think they will look great in this cabinet.

It is ready to be sent off to the painter to get completed.

Take me out to the ball game, take me…
Well, you know the rest.

www.herocreations2020.com

New design for a built-in entertainment center. The great big TV goes in the middle of it. It is 16 feet wide and has 11 cabinets. This thing is pretty great.

I have presented this to a prospective client and they have to see when the time is right to do a big project like this.

In the meantime, I can do one for you. Isn’t it finally time for that amazing built-in entertainment center that you have always wanted?

Contact HeRo Creations and we will make it happen for you.

www.herocreations2020.com

Interesting built-in wardrobe project in the works right now. A client's hallway closet is being converted to a wardrobe. I designed it to have a classic style with raised panel doors and slab drawers with an ogee edge treatment.
It will be done in solid oak with a white birch and maple interior. It'll be a pretty one!

It is partially built in my shop and should be ready for install in my client's home sometime in the next two weeks. The base cabinet with the three drawers is completed. Now on to face frame, drawer faces and doors.
This is one of those fun builds, because it's so unusual to see something like this in an american home. You see this kind of thing in european homes but not so much in U.S..

With St. Patrick’s Day coming up in a couple of weeks, it seems fitting to remind y’all that you can get this board on Etsy.

This board is made of solid Cherry and was painstakingly designed and engraved to reveal this amazing pattern.

It would look great in your home, don’t you think?

https://herocreationsstore.etsy.com/listing/1688460295

www.herocreations2020.com

#irish #celtic #shamrock #charcuterie #cuttingboard

Cherry cutting board with walnut inlay…what do you think of this one?

We made this one for a client to give as a gift to @lionheartphoto_mn

It turned out great.

This kind of thing makes a great corporate gift. All of your employees need one…we will make them for you.

#corporategifts #corporategifting #custominlay #cuttingboard

I was inspired to do some new Celtic designs in the shop today. These cutting boards are available now and a few other ones will be following soon.

Take a minute or two and really watch this video to see how great this one turned out. I really like it.

If you do, too…head over to www.herocreations2020.com and buy one of these for yourself (or better yet, buy for someone else)!

#celtic #irish #stpatricksday #gift

My amazing wife was honored as one of the 2024 St. Cecilia Volunteer Award winners today. A well earned recognition for all of the selfless giving of her time and talents.
Next time you see Mary Hefferin Ronayne, give her a high five and a “congratulations”. She deserves it 😄

Have you seen this great big (18X24) cutting board I did for some old friends. Even I said “Woah!” When it was finished.
The inlay work came out great on this one.

#cuttingboard #woah #gift #herocreations

This is a bench created from an antique bed. The headboard creates the backrest and the footboard was cut in half and used as the arm rests and front legs. I think it looks great. I can’t wait to see it after it is painted.

#bench #antique #woodworking #furniture

Some new to replace some old. Interior slab doors for a client who seriously needed some new ones.

#interiordoor #doors #upgrade #customdoor

More of the Mandala cutting/charcuterie boards to be made. The orders keep coming in. Thank goodness I love making these.
I have an idea for some variations on this one…some real Celtic themed stuff. Celtic knots, that kind of thing.

Is that a good idea?

#cuttingboardart #mandala #celtic

�“The Provincial” bookcase has been delivered to its forever home.

Head to www.herocreations2020.com to get your custom bookcase made for your home.

#casework #bookcase #ames #custommade

This is a serving tray I made for a family member who would give it as a gift to her Grandmother for Christmas. I have been sitting on the pictures to give enough time for the gift recipient to soak in the real thing before I shared my pics of it.

I made this from the wood of a Hackberry tree that came down in a very large storm here in Ames, IA in 2019. I have been drying the slabs and they are finally ready to be used. This is the first project I have used it for.

What do you think of the tray?

www.herocreations2020.com

#butlertray #servingtray #hackberry

The latest bookcase with stain and finish. It will be heading to its forever home in the next day or two. Just waiting for the weather to be a little more cooperative.

www.herocreations2020.com

Is this true? Sanding is THE BEST!

www.herocreations2020.com

Preview of a bookcase I’m making for a client. It will eventually be stained darker per client’s request. I kind of like the light look of this the way it is.
Do you prefer lighter or darker tones for something like this for your house?

www.herocreations2020.com

#interiordesigns #bookcase

Valentine’s Day will be here before you know it. Guys! You know she is beautiful… so get her a gift that shows her she is loved.

https://herocreationsstore.etsy.com/listing/1652572213

www.herocreations2020.com

#valentines #valentine #gift #woodsculpture

I’m making the drawer faces for a curved cabinet. How do you make an inset drawer face for a curved front cabinet and and still have the drawers work with the under mount slides? I tried a few different approaches and finally settled on this.
The drawer face was really heavy (as you would imagine) so I removed a ton of material from the back side of the face. It’ll still be heavy but it is about half the weight it was an hour ago😃

What technique would you use to make the drawer faces on this piece?

www.herocreations2020.com

#cabinetbuilder #cabinetmaking #cabinets

My Dad passed away in 2020. This is his Stanley SB 4 that I now have in my shop. Today was the first time using it since his passing. I don’t think this thing has ever even been sharpened over the past 50 years but it sliced through this maple drawer face that I’m making for a client without any problem at all.

Thanks for the help in the shop today Dad!

www.herocreations2020.com

The Walnut Mission Style Coffee table in its proper home. Want me to make one for you? Order one at www.herocreations2020.com

Someone is going to be a CHAMPION.

I just delivered this 15x20 Cherry cutting board. It will be first prize for a cook-off that is coming up soon. Makes me want to move to that neighborhood so I’d have a chance to win it!
This was a fun one to do. Laser engraving on Cherry always looks awesome. Can I make a board for you?

A glue up wouldn’t be so stressful if it really went this fast. The clock starts ticking as soon as you squeeze out that first drop of glue and it makes contact with the workpiece.
This is the lower section of a custom entertainment center I’m building for a client.
I have to admit, I was really sweating during this one. All of the parts bedded a little persuasion with my mallet and I used every clamp in my shop.

#glueup #glueups #customwoodworking

www.herocreations2020.com

A glimpse into the shop today:
Installing the French cleat nailers on the back of this box. The box will be one of the components for a very cool entertainment center that I’m building for a client. This will be mounted above the giant screen TV. Under the TV will be a complimentary cabinet with drawers. There will also be some floating shelves that match all of the other components. It’s going to be a very cool look.

The next step for this cabinet will be making and attaching a face frame. Got some more to do today…I should get back to work!

www.herocreations2020.com

#cabinetbuild #cabinets #ames #amesiowa #woodworking #woodworkshop

Gotta work fast to get those Etsy orders out of the shop and into their new homes. The World’s Greatest Grill Scraper is being shipped very soon. Order yours as soon as you can…I’ll make it as fast as I can. https://herocreationsstore.etsy.com

Sometimes your laser gets possessed by demons…it’s a fact.

Spraying some clear satin poly on the underside of this 60” round table. Followed by a quick light sanding to knock down any little dust nibs, then hit it with another coat of poly. The HeRo Creations table factory is still in high gear. www.HeRoCreations2020.com

Putting some Red Mahogany stain on the underside of this Baltic birch table. It will then get a couple coats of clear finish sprayed on followed by attaching the legs. The HeRo Creations table factory is hard at work today. #table #customtables #shopbuilt #woodworkshop #woodworker #minwaxstain #minwax

This little 11 x 17 endgrain beauty went out of the shop a few weeks ago. It was purchased as a wedding gift for a lucky young couple. It has a juice groove on one side and nice laser engraving of the names of the newlyweds. They will enjoy this board for decades to come!
#cuttingboard #cuttingboards #choppingboards #weddinggift #personalised #custommade #customcuttingboards

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HERO CREATIONS

It all started a long time ago...

My wife, Mary and I created beautiful things, all kinds of things... art, music and other "things" that we have always called "HeRo Creations". We created them for ourselves and often gave away our HeRo Creations as gifts to family and friends.

I am a woodworker who makes beautiful, handmade items. Over the past 30 years, my on again, off again hobby grew into a full-on obsession. I create items I like and hopefully you will like, too.

My aim is to make each carefully crafted HeRo Creations piece a conversation starter, wherever it’ll be displayed or used. I design and handcraft beautiful pieces that incorporate a wide range of distinctive hardwoods that are visually striking. Each piece is truly unique and custom designed. Contact me to learn more about how I can make something beautiful for you.

- Jay

There is a beauty in knowing something was made by the human hand...with love and care...for you.

ONE OF A KIND

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GET YOUR CUSTOM PROJECTS STARTED NOW

OUR PRODUCTS ARE ALSO ON ETSY

HERO CREATIONS

HeRo Creations