Teen bends way to success

Palmer High School sophomore Rory Egelus enjoys the same things most 15-year-old boys enjoy -- playing basketball, playing soccer, running, hanging out with friends. But unlike Egelus, not too many 15-year-old boys have become accomplished furniture makers.

Egelus said he always used to build tree forts, but now he is taking the wood and doing something different -- making willow branch furniture, some of which is commanding top dollar. Because of his furniture-making talent, Egelus was recently named a finalist in the Spirit of the Youth Foundation awards in the fine arts category, along with Colony seniior Landon Swank.

"I haven't met any other kids who do it, really," Egelus said. "My neighbor's mom has built a couple of things, but I've never run into anybody else."

Being the youngest of three boys in the family has its hazards when it comes to being a young furniture maker.

"My brothers make fun of me for it, but that's because they're my brothers," Egelus said. "My friends think its a cool thing to do, and the adults really like it, too. One of my good friends and I did one chair together."

The amazing thing about Egelus' chairs, corner hutches and stools isn't the intricate detail or the fine workmanship, although both are astonishing. The real amazing thing is that Egelus has only been bending willows since March, and he has had exactly zero minutes of training. Everything he has done has been learned through trial and error.

"I've just been learning from my mistakes," Egelus said. "I think I've made about 30 pieces now. I've done six or seven chairs, and some other projects like a garden trellis. I start making things and kind of learn as I go."

Egelus has also been inventing new pieces of work. One of the more unique willow branch items was a napkin holder he came up with. When he was first starting out, he found designs on the Internet, but now, designs come right from his head. He has built reclining chairs, plant stands, sturdy end tables and even corner bookshelves.

"I kind of picture it in my mind and go from there," Egelus said. "I start on the frame of the chair, and just start putting it together and changing it as a I go."

The first part of the process involves harvesting the willow branches to use. He looks for branches of all sizes, from one inch to two inches around for the frame and some as small as a centimeter around for the seat. He said he measures lots of branches to get the ones he needs. Then, for a chair, he bends the branches and makes the frame. He adds the supports and finishes with the seat. Then, he goes back to make sure the supports are right, and adds the finishing details, which customize every piece.

"It usually takes a couple of days to do a chair," Egelus said. "I did one in one day and it took me about seven hours."

Being an accomplished furniture maker has Egelus wearing many different hats, at the young age of 15. He is one part artist -- coming up with the designs and adding flair to chairs; one part craftsman -- you have to put everything together, after all; and one part businessman -- Egelus also markets his own furniture.

"I made up some brochures and business cards and I sold a couple at Colony Days in Palmer last summer," Egelus said.

Egelus also donates many of his pieces to organizations that raffle them, and that's where he is making his biggest contribution. Many community groups have benefited from Egelus' talent.

In fact, one piece he donated to the Dog Dash for DeeDee was how he came to be nominated for the Spirit of the Youth Foundation awards.

The Dog Dash for DeeDee raised money and awareness about breast cancer, which DeeDee Jonrowe was diagnosed with last year. It was a donation that was very personal to Egelus.

"My uncle had leukemia and he passed away about a year ago and he meant a lot to me," Egelus said. "When I heard DeeDee had cancer, I thought there was something I could do to help."

Geography isn't on Egelus' side when it comes to making furniture out of willow branches. Summer is short in Alaska, and that is obviously when willow branches are the most accessible.

"I'm going to stick with it a lot when summer comes," Egelus said. "Right now, it's tough to get the willow."