For fun and family

By ROWENA PLETT

Staff writer

Chris Hammond of Marion says his family likes homemade gifts.

“My kids enjoy things that we make rather than what we buy at the store,” he said. “It’s something that comes from the heart. They do the same for us.”

Hammond went on disability a few years ago after he injured his back when a car fell on him. He’s always looking for things to do to keep himself busy.

He started doing horseshoe art about a year ago. His latest creation is a horseshoe Christmas tree made for his mother, Virginia Hammond. He made the ornaments from scratch.

Each ornament was uniquely crafted from wood or resin using a lathe. The liquid resin was poured into molds with color or glitter added, allowed to harden, and then shaped with a chisel on the lathe.

Some ornaments were made by gluing colored pencils together, then molding and shaping them. Others were made from tree limbs.

Hammond made an ornament for his 3-year-old granddaughter in Wichita. She liked it so much that she asked him to make some for her preschool teachers.

Hammond is teaching his wife, Lanissa, how to create horseshoe art by welding them together. He also makes wooden ornaments for regular Christmas trees and makes ballpoint pens from wood.

Everything he makes he gives away to family.

“I do it for fun,” he said.