Caelyn Parker is only 12 years old but has already created a unique business out of her South Berwick, N.S. garage, called “Caelyn’s Creations“.
“I make Smoke Heads,” said Parker.
“What you do is you cut down a tree, drill a hole through the center and draw designs on them and then they burn for three to five hours.”
Each Smoke Head takes Parker a few hours to make.
She came up with the idea after seeing a Smoke Head while away at a hockey tournament and after experiencing a bit of bad luck.
“We had a tree fall on our car two Christmases ago, so we cut it down and it just sat in our garage for two years so then we basically just started this summer,” she said.
Although she has only been making Smoke Heads for a few months, Parker has already sold 50.
She enjoys the process of being creative but Parker’s business isn’t just for fun – she is also working hard to make money to help her family.
She says her mom is sick and unable to work anymore.
“She used to be a teacher,” Parker says of her mother. “I wanted to help pay for my hockey so I made these to raise money so I could keep doing my hockey.”
An avid hockey player herself, Parker decided to make a special Smoke Head for one of her favourite hockey players – Sidney Crosby.
“He won the cup so that’s probably the main reason but he’s from Nova Scotia and I’ve always liked Sidney Crosby cause he’s very, very good,” said Parker. “I think he’s been through a lot with all his concussions and stuff and I like how he got through that and kept playing hockey.”
READ MORE: ‘Better person than a hockey player’: Sidney Crosby’s childhood coach happy for repeat champion
Right now, Sidney Crosby is back home in Cole Harbour, N.S., for his annual Sidney Crosby Hockey School. Caelyn’s mother is currently working to arrange a time they can drop the smokehead off for Crosby to enjoy.
“‘Pretty sure we’re going to get it to him next week,” said Parker. “It’s going to be good.”
Although she primarily makes Smoke Heads, she also does custom orders for people and has branched out to make new items, like blade vases.
You can learn more about the products Parker makes and how to purchase them by visiting her website or her Facebook page.