Bridgewater graphic designer makes original, handcrafted home décor

BRIDGEWATER — For those looking for local, handmade gifts and decorations this holiday season, look no further than Purple Giraffe Designs.

Full-time graphic designer and Bridgewater resident Lisa Casey has been using her design skills to create original home décor, custom apparel and all kinds of gifts since 2015.

It all started six years ago when Casey began selling prints of her artwork on Etsy. She sold thank you cards, signs and paper posters and named her new business after her favorite color and animal.

But over time, Casey started making handcrafted and hand-painted wooden signs from scratch. She said she makes everything from double-sided door hangers to planter boxes, box frame signs and welcome signs.

Casey's passion for design goes back to her childhood. She said she always knew she wanted to be a graphic designer, so, growing up in Brockton, she attended Southeastern Regional Technical Vocational High School in Easton for computer science.

Now, through her online shop, she combines her technical skill with artful design.

Casey said she starts by going to Pinterest and Etsy for inspiration, looking for what kinds of products and designs are currently popular.

Then, she uses her graphic design program to create her own original work before using a Cricut to create a stencil. She finishes by hand painting the design on the wood and sealing it if it's meant to be displayed outside.

Casey said she also cuts, sands and stains the wood for her signs herself. She said her art style tends to be modern but that it fluctuates from product to product.

"I'm kind of an eclectic person to begin with, so it's just a mishmash of all of my design capabilities," she said.

This holiday season she has some special items, like a door hanger that says "Santa's magic key for our house without a chimney" that has a beautiful skeleton key painted on it.

"Kids would come up and be like, 'Oh my gosh, I love this. We don't have a chimney,'" she said. "So I worked with the parents to make sure that the kids knew that only Santa knew how to use the key."

Casey also makes custom T-shirts, vinyl-printed stuffed animals and other custom items for people looking for something specific.

Though Casey said it's great to get paid for her work, creating is also a big stress reliever for her and she'd do it no matter what.

"This is just my outlet. My husband knows that if I go into our basement, that's mommy's timeout," she said. "I like creating stuff, even if I don't sell it. I like creating it."

Those interested in checking out Purple Giraffe Designs can visit Lisa Casey's online store at purplegiraffedesigns.com.

Enterprise staff writer Susannah Sudborough can be reached by email at ssudborough@enterprisenews.com. You can follow her on Twitter at @k_sudborough. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Enterprise today.

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Bridgewater mother creates original, handcrafted home décor