Cottage Craft Works, LLC

Ph: 281-638-0050 | Visit www.cottagecraftworks.com





Thursday, December 8, 2016

Handcrafted USA Amish Products, Goods, Wares, Furniture

The most comprehensive Amish handcrafted products, goods, wares, furniture on the Internet. Hard to find vintage items you won't find anywhere else.

Because the Amish take great pride in their workmanship and products, Amish American made products are in very high demand because of the high-quality craftsmanship and attention to durability.

Cottage Craft Works.com online general store features Amish USA made products from over 100 Amish owned and operated business.

Shopping the online store is like taking a trip back in a time machine to an old-fashioned general store full of vintage America products and goods.  It was a time when America made products lasted a lifetime and were handed down to the next generation.

Cottage Craft Works has developed a solid reputation of old-fashioned integrity and customer service for over a decade.

The products at Cottage Craft Works were handpicked from over 30 years of exploring in the deep back roads of Americas Amish communities across the US.  Amish made vintage products are still being made and used just like they were at the turn of the Century.

The Amish just build things in an overkill mode to last. Planned obsolesces is never a consideration.

Products are simple, geared for common sense practical people and not to building corporate profits and shareholders demands.

The Amish practice conservative stewardship of the environment, a refreshing contrast to the prefoliation of cheaply made toxic products flooding into our country. 

In the mid-1900s the Amish who were dependent on the same products used in an off-grid America soon discovered those products were no longer being made in the mainstream as the rest of the country moved forward.

They began to develop those old-time products in small metal working and machine shops to continue having those goods and wares available for future Amish generations.

Many non-Amish who became fed up with cheaply made imported products rediscovered the Amish communities and began to purchase their products instead.

People began to flock to the Amish off-grid products just before the year 2000 when the Y-2K scare was making headlines about the real possibility of having to live off grid.

Many discovered those old-fashioned hand-operated gadgets worked very well and in fact sometimes even better than the modern-day versions.

The problem is how the cheaper copycat products are being marketed.  On TV actors, can make it look like kitchen gadgets cuts like butter when, it never seems to end up working as smoothly as the Amish USA made products.

As an example: the Amish made Country Egg Beater is a reproduction of the vintage Daisy Egg Beater and works just as smooth as the original ones.  It is very expensive and you could probably purchase as many as seven of the imported egg beater versions but soon discover they are very difficult and nearly impossible to use as a serious kitchen mixer.

In other words, you get what you pay for and one good tool is worth a dozen of lookalike tools kept in a drawer simply because no one wants to use them.

The same can be demonstrated with other cooking utensils to gardening tools.  Amish made products are just made to use to get the job done. The Amish depend on these products to feed their large families.

Cottage Craft Works is selling reproduction treadle sewing cabinets for the Janome 712T treadle sewing machine. Surprisingly they are selling them faster to non-Amish women as to Amish.  Many women feel they can better control the speed of the treadle sewing machines over the electric sewing machines and want the nostalgic cabinet in their sewing rooms.

Living simple off the grid the Amish may not have the luxuries of dishwashers or clothes dryers but they still have mounds of dishes and dirty clothes produced by their large families. 

They compensate by using Amish made drying racks like a stainless-steel dish drainboard to use next to the kitchen sink and folding wall and floor clothes drying racks, which are very popular in homes where people have the modern-day luxuries.

The extra-large kitchen drainboard is perfect to dry those oversized commercial pots and pans even in the most upscale kitchens.  Laundry drying racks are just handy to have around from the mud room to the garage for hanging up wet coats and delicate items that can’t be placed in a dryer.

Surprisingly those that do practice environmentally air drying quickly note the savings in the electricity it takes to dry a load of heavy items like blue jeans.

Take a stroll through this online emporium of old-fashioned Amish products, goods, wares and furniture, to rediscover a forgotten past of American history still available in this most modern day world. www.cottagecraftworks.com


  

Monday, November 21, 2016

Christmas Shopping 2016 at Cottage Craftworks

Christmas Shopping 2016 at Cottage Craft Works




Cottage Craft Works, is really, truly that unique general store you used to remember going to when you were a kid, picking out the candy at the counter and ogling at all of the new equipment that had just come in from the nearest big city on the back of a Ford pickup truck. We've just modernized things a bit, so you know, you can view it from the comfort of your home.

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Brand NEW CCW Hunting Calls website

Press Release 11-16-16.    Cottage Craft Works has revamped and launched the new CCW hunting calls website:  www.ccwhuntingcalls.com

CCW Hunting &  Game Calls has become a recognized source for high-quality hunting calls.

Part of the Cottage Craft Works Family since 2006,   CCW Hunting & Game Calls offers a  unique hunting product line from  Turkey Calls, Turkey Box Calls, Duck Calls, Deer Calls, Elk Calls, and Small Game Calls.

All CCW hunting calls are Amish handcrafted .   Some hunting calls come with choices of wood such as Walnut, Oak, Cherry, and Poplar.

CCW Hunting  and Game Calls offers custom engraving  service.   We can custom engrave most of our CCW Hunting and Game Calls with your logo or saying for a special recognition or promotion.

These make wonderful gifts or corporate promotions. Personalized  your hunting call today!






Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Hand Water Well Pump

USA made hand water well pumps since 1886.  Deep and shallow well water pumps. Cistern pitcher, windmill pumps and parts.

Generations have depended on the most reliable hand water well pumps made by Heller Aller for their off-grid fresh water needs. This is one of the reasons that Heller Aller has been able to stay in business for centuries up against electric deep well pumps.

Hand water well pumps are still being used by the Amish as well as ranchers and farmers who need fresh water in very remote locations.

The windmill 50L Double Acting Force Pump is still the standard on ranches across the Midwest and Western USA. The 50L can also be used as a hand pump.

Heller Aller 50L Water Well Pump


Homesteads have depended on the Brass Cylinder Fig T and the PHB force pitcher pump has been the standard since the 1800s. This is a very popular pump for remote hunting and fishing cabins.

PHB Cistern Well Pitcher Pump


The 50L double acting deep well and the PHB shallow well pitcher cistern pump will force water uphill or overhead to stock tanks or a storage tank to gravity feed plumbing fixtures.

The 190-A is a set length pump cisterns and shallow wells.  For wells deeper than 20’ the cylinder can be lowered, a tail pipe added with a foot valve.

The 192-A is like the 190-A but designed to be used with a windmill.

Heller Aller has been kept alive by the Amish who wanted to keep the pumps going for future generations.  They are now made by Amish workers in Indiana. They are also very popular by those who are living off the grid or in remote locations for their only water source.

You will find cheaper imported water well pumps but they are made to be more ornamental for yard décor and not made to be used as a serious main water supply.

Cottage Craft Works carries Heller Aller hand water well pumps they also carry all the repair parts to fit and rebuild old Heller Aller Pumps. Other back-to-basics homestead suppliers will sell you the pump but don’t provide the customer support or the parts leaving you dry.

Cottage Craft Works at www.cottagecraftworks.com is a full line online store with old-fashioned products and customer service.

Cottage Craft Works also carries the Amish made 401 water hydrant. The 401 hydrant is child and lady friendly, easy to operate and built to outlast any hydrant on the market.  

The 401 hydrant can be even upgraded to a stainless pipe and foot valve for those areas that have alkaline soil that corrodes and deteriorates galvanized and brass valve components used on other water hydrants.

401 Frost Proof Hydrant



Thursday, November 10, 2016

USA Made Stoneware Crocks, Bowls, Baking Dishes, Water Coolers

Cottage Craft Works provides vintage reproduction USA stoneware. Classic American Heritage blue stripe mixing bowls, baking dishes, and water crocks. Cottage Craft Works Stoneware

Cottage Craft Works USA stoneware uses no lead or cadmium is dishwasher and oven safe.

Traditional blue stripe is available on all the stoneware as well as custom colors and personalization for heirloom quality gifts. 


USA old fashioned water coolers and water bottle dispensing crocks are the most ordered stoneware items. As people source, away from municipal water supplies to bottle water they are finding these old-time water crocks as a great solution to their drinking water needs.  

Made in America pottery using no lead or cadmium is very difficult to find making this a popular shopping site.


As people are looking to return to simpler times and their childhood memories the old-fashioned blue stripe stoneware vintage mixing and baking dishes are making a comeback.

Many found memories were developed by surrounding grandma as she mixed up a batch of homemade cookies in her blue stripe stoneware bowl.  Sizes from 8” to 16” are still available at Cottage Craft Works.


Stoneware batter bowls are also very popular and are still be given as wedding gifts to the made from scratch cooking bride to be. They resemble a large cup with a cup handle on one side and a pouring spout on the opposite side. 

Batter bowl sizes are available in ¼, ½, and 1-gallon capacity. Batter bowls allow for all the ingredients to be added and mixed together in one bowl for such things as cake, cookie, and pancake batters and then poured directly into the cooking utensil.


Stoneware baking dishes are also making a comeback because of the thicker sides and special designs allow for better heat retention and overall cooking satisfaction.  

The potbelly designs provide a steam cooking effect using less water.  This old-time pottery is practical for everyday use especially being that it is all dishwasher and microwave safe. 


You will also discover hard to find grease jars, pottery crocks, butter churns and pottery pitchers and pitcher and bowl wash sets.  The pitcher and bowl wash sets are popular for church cleansing ceremonies.

Do expect to wait 3-4 weeks for custom and personalized items. The small family owned shop in Texas that makes all the stoneware pottery for Cottage Craft Works still makes each piece by hand, so plan accordingly for gift ordering.

Cottage Craft Works at www.cottagecraftworks.com is a full line online old fashioned general store chocked full of quality practical wares and goods used during vintage off grid times.


All USA Stoneware Can Be Custom Painted
 
USA Made Water Bottle Crock
USA Made 16" Blue Stripe Stoneware Bowl
USA Stoneware Bowls
USA Made Stoneware Batter Bowls
USA Made Stoneware Butter Churns
USA Made Water Coolers



Clothes Drying Racks, Clothes Lines, Folding Clothes Dryers

Drying clothes and linens the old-fashioned way saves dollars, reduces carbon footprint and allows for off grid freedom.

There’s just something about the fresh smell of linens hung to dry outside.  The Amish still make and use drying racks and clotheslines to air dry the family laundry.

At times the weather may not be cooperative so both indoor and outdoor drying options are a must.
Cottage Craft Works .com carries all types of Amish folding drying racks and outdoor clotheslines on their self-sufficient living online store at http://www.cottagecraftworks.com

There you will find several indoor and outdoor drying solutions from portable clothes lines, Amish pulley mounted clothes to the folding floor and wall mounted drying racks for indoor drying.


Accordion wall mounted drying racks take up very little space when they are folded yet, they provide several feet of drying space when they are extended.  Accordion wall racks are very handy in mud rooms, laundries, and garages.  


A heavy-duty folding umbrella rack provides up to 20’ of drying space yet it only takes up an 8” wide x 36” wall space when it is folded.

Cottage Craft Works also offers an economy version and a heavy-duty umbrella folding clothes rack that is smaller but perfect for towels in a kitchen or bathroom area.


Most will recognize the traditional floor folding drying racks. These simple folding racks fold up accordion style allowing them to be stored easily. 

When expanded, they can be set over a heat register of in front of a window.  The larger sizes provide up to 40’ of drying space in one compact area. They are also handy for drying spices, flowers, and herbs.


These vintage ceiling mounted clothes drying racks have been used for centuries in the UK and Europe.  Some gravitated to the US and will occasionally show up here in Antique stores. The space saving concept works extremely well in small homes and apartments. 

Generally, they were hung from the kitchen ceilings where most laundry was done in vintage times.
Today they work well in small spaces, porches, garages, and basements. Heat tends to flow upward to the ceiling area so these racks are very efficient for quick drying of clothes without taking up valuable floor space.

The drying rack uses rope and pulleys to lower for loading and unloading of clothing and linens. 


The Pennsylvania and Ohio Amish communities have developed an ingenious pulley mounted clothes line that allows the fresh laundry to be strung from the back laundry room door without ever walking outside.  

This comes in extremely handy for Northern states where wet springs followed by winter snow and ice can make it very difficult to hang out clothes on a traditional clothesline.

Patterned after pulley mounted clotheslines from earlier times mostly found in city apartment buildings, these Amish designed systems are designed to handle up to 150’ of clothes line often strung from the house to a barn or pole.

Driving through these Amish communities during weekly wash days will likely yield a display of flag like bright colored Amish woman dresses combined with white linens.


This system provides a solid outdoor clothesline without the permanent post. Even better it can be wheeled full of clothes around the yard or in and out of a garage.  

Made of square aluminum tubing that comes apart for compact storage it looks like a giant hammock frame when assembled. 

The lines provide up to 72’ of drying lines in only a 12’ x 8’ space.
A great clothes drying solution for rental homes, vacation cottages or summer camp.


Once you start using this little compact drying systems you will wonder how you ever done without it.  Hang it right outside of a back door from a soffit to quickly hang up dish rags, tea towels, socks and baby tops, bibs and delicates.  

Made from two aluminum rings equipped with clothespins hanging by chains from a single hook. Also, perfect for drying herbs and flowers.

Cottage Craft Works at www.cottagecraftworks.com is a full line online old fashioned general store chocked full of quality practical wares and goods used during vintage off grid times.

 
Folding Floor Drying Rack
Ceiling  Mounted Clothes Drying Rack
Amish Portable Clothesline
Folding Accordion Wall Drying Rack
Amish Small Garment and Sock Drying Ring


Thursday, November 3, 2016

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Budget Friendly USA Kombucha Tea Stoneware Crock

Brew your own Kombucha tea with this  budget friendly USA Kombucha Tea Stoneware Crock.  No need to spend hundreds of dollars  for a quality made in America Kombucha stoneware brewing crock.

Handmade stoneware brewing crock allows for the continuous brewing of the ancient Kombucha tea, which many believe provides detoxification, probiotics, and disease-fighting benefits.

Those who are looking for a good fermenting crock have been astounded by the steep prices running up to hundreds of dollars for stoneware fermenting crocks.

Per customer request, Cottage Craft Works.com has developed an economical USA stoneware pottery water crock for brewing the popular Kombucha tea.  



Unlike glass the crock is not translucent  and  does not have to be left in a dark place allowing it to be kept on a kitchen counter for  closer monitoring of the Kombucha brewing process.

Typical brewing time is 7-10 days in warmer weather and 7-21 days  in cooler weather. Brewing time will also vary the according to the temperature of your home. Brewing time can be shortened by using a brew belt which warms the vessel up considerably. Pottery absorbs heat very well and can simply be set close to a heat source to speed up the brewing process.

The crock holds 2 gallons of brew. Active brewing requires a cloth cover for the mixture to breath during fermentation. The Cottage Craft Works brewing crock comes with a standard pottery lid as a bonus to keep the crock covered when it’s not in use.

If you plan to bottle your Kombucha tea for a secondary fermentation, the crock will produce approximately one dozen 16 oz bottles. The bottles are easy to fill as the crock comes equipped with a USA made poly spigot.

You can purchase the Kombucha Tea Crock online at  http://www.cottagecraftworks.com/usa-kombucha-tea-fermentation-crock  The crock is also available in custom colors as well as having it personalized

Cottage Craft Works at www.cottagecraftworks.com is an online general store featuring a full range of old fashioned goods and wares made and used at the turn of the Century when many depended on off-grid simple living  American made products.



Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Best Apple Cider Press 2016

Best Apple Cider Press 2016


Self-Sufficient Economy Cider Press-Mill. Now EVERYONE Can Own A Cider Press!
Now a smaller, less expensive cider press for the homeowner with only a few trees.
It works as well as the larger version. Presses a half bushel of whole apples at a time. No need to peel or cut up the apples - the grinder does it all. Comes mostly assembled. Includes a pressing bag and EZ-DO Polyurethane Gel. Just bolt it together and you have everything you need to make pure, delicious cider.
Our tests have produced over one gallon of pure delicious cider per pressing!


PIONEER JUNIOR BUDGET CIDER PRESS

MAPLE SYRUP COOKER | WOOD FIRED EVAPORATOR


The Basic 26” x 46” 12 GPH Maple Syrup Cooker is a perfect evaporator for the small backyard hobby syrup processor on a limited budget. This wood fired maple syrup evaporator allows the maple syrup do-it-yourselfer hobbyist to step up from using makeshift cookers to a real maple syrup evaporator at a nominal cost.

Learn more about the product:
http://www.cottagecraftworks.com/hobby-basic-maple-syrup-cooker-wood-fired-evaporator

Thursday, August 18, 2016

Best Ice Cream Freezers Made in the USA

Best Ice Cream Freezers Made in the USA
Best Ice Cream Freezers Made in the USA
Best Ice Cream Freezers Made in the USA


All USA Made Heavy Duty 8 Qt Ice Cream Maker! 
Take a closer look at the quality material and craftsmanship and you will quickly realize that Immergood USA made old fashion quality ice cream freezers are being made much like ice cream freezers manufactured at the turn of the century.
Ever since Immergood introduced their original 6 qt freezer, people wanting to make larger batches of ice cream have been requesting an 8 qt model like the original White Mountain 8 qt freezers.




Thursday, June 30, 2016

Rollaway, Roller Egg, Roll Out, Nest Box

The Very Best Rollaway, Roller Egg Nest Box allow fresh eggs to roll out into a covered collection box providing peck free, cleaner, less damaged eggs.

Considering all the cost and time to produce fresh eggs finding them broken or half-eaten is very frustrating. These USA made rollaway chicken nest boxes are really worth the upfront investment  and should last a lifetime.

Unlike some other  metal  nest boxes on the market, these nest boxes are built very heavy duty containing no plastic parts to become brittle and break off over time.

With a slightly slanted floor in the bottom of the nesting box, the eggs gently roll out forward, or in one particular model, forward or back into a protective collection tray.

Many have made wooden rollaway nest boxes for years, and there was once a company making these types of nest boxes commercially in the early 1900s.

Old Vintage Rollaway Nest Box  Used To Pattern New Amish Nest Boxes


These are Amish  USA made rollaway nesting boxes totally made out of heavy duty galvanized metal that can be power washed and disinfected should you ever have a poultry disease outbreak. They also require no straw or other nesting materials that may harbor mites and other insects.

When the Amish find a  great product and then it becomes no longer available they will begin to reproduce it for the Amish communities. Today many of the old time products like these nest boxes are still being made and used in the Amish communities. Cottage Craft Works specializes in traveling the back roads discovering these types of  all American made quality  old-fashioned products to bring them to the general marketplace.

These Amish made nesting boxes were first discovered by the folks over at Cottage Craft Works in 2006.  They were the first company to bring them to the general market in their unique back-to-basics general store. They offer different styles and sizes for almost any size of flock for the backyard hobbyist  homestead to the small commercial egg producers.

The original rollaway nest boxes have the green roost with divided boxes. They are available in a two-hole, four hole and an eight hole model.  Each compartment hole will accommodate 5-6 hens.

The eggs drop down onto a wire mesh screen to roll forward.  The mesh is large enough to allow the chicken poop to pass on through to a pullout tray underneath for easy and quick cleaning.

Cottage Craft Works Four Compartment Rollaway Nest Box
Easy Access Egg Collection Tray
Amish Rollaway Nest Box In Use For Over 20 Years


In 2011 the folks at Cottage Craft Works discovered another Amish company making a similar rollaway nest box . They were the first company to bring the Community Rollaway Nest Boxes to the general marketplace.  These nest boxes were rather intriguing  to them because they offered a wide open concept without dividers.  

Community 48" Rollaway Nest Box
The Community Rollaway Nest Box Large Collection Tray


The Amish builder designed these smaller nest boxes from the large commercial open nest boxes where the chicken enters divided curtains to lay their eggs.  What really caught their attention was that the wide open community concept was able to  accommodate  more than double the number of chickens in the same size of the 4 compartment boxes.

The Community style also has a larger egg tray to hold the additional eggs. The community style does use laying mats for the eggs to drop and roll on which will need to be cleaned.  Extra mats are available with the boxes to have them to switch out.

One big advantage of the Community design is that they are reversible. Meaning you have the flexibility to set them up for either a front or rear collection tray. Using the rear collection tray makes them very handy to use in small hard to access chicken coops or when you don’t really want to disturb the chickens during egg collections after dark.

The Community boxes also have solid metal backs so they can be set up in rows in the middle of a coop.

Both styles of nesting boxes have the roost hinged to lift up to access the egg tray but to also block off the entry to the nest boxes when needed.

Both styles of the rollaway nest boxes are available to purchase online at Cottage Craft Works.com and have been one of their best-selling line of products.  People have come back to purchase more of the same style so it becomes a Ford or Chevy discussion when asked which one is the best over the other.

The customer service at Cottage Craft Works is great to discuss the pro and cons of each based on your specific coop setup.

Cottage Craft Works, www.cottagecraftworks.com is a back-to-basics general store providing old-fashioned products of value and functionality for today’s homestead hobby farm.  Many of the products are made for non-electric off-grid homesteading.


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