About us

The Lakeside Shed offers a fabulous range of beautifully hand made personalised gifts and keepsakes for all the special people and events in your lives. As often as possible my gifts are made using items sourced from other small businesses and are carefully designed and created to provide unique products that can not be found on the high street.

Who and what is The Lakeside Shed?
The Lakeside Shed was created by Natalie; an ex secondary school teacher of Religious Education and mum of two little boys aged 5 and 4. 

I always knew I wanted to work with children and I've always been a thinker. I love to inspire and educate, and there is no greater feeling than that lightbulb moment when someone learns and achieves something they have been striving towards, or when you have helped someone overcome something they have been struggling with. 

The Lakeside Shed began as a hobby. I used to make things, and show my niece what I had made and how to make it. I soon had so many bits and pieces that I branched out into selling these items at craft fairs using the name 'JJ adorable gifts' (JJ are my niece's initials).

The teacher in me was never content with what I had made and I constantly wanted to make things 'better'. With lots of trial and error, and research and money I created a line of products which allowed me to share my favourite spiritual, religious and inspirational words through decorative signs and plaques. I had learnt how to design typography using computer software, I learnt how to use a table saw, drill, brad gun, router. I learnt about different types of wood and researched suppliers for other materials such as acrylic.

These new skills allowed me to create products which were in such high demand that after 2 fun years of crafting I realised it was time to take my hobby a little more seriously. I made the difficult decision to leave my job as a teacher and I established 'The Lakeside Shed'. 

The rickety old shed at the end of our garden backs on to a lovely little private lake. This was where I painted and packaged all of my signs. As I worked I would hear the ducks quacking and birds singing. I was thrilled to be able start a new venture that allowed me to hold onto some of my R.E teacher past and spend more time with my own children. Much to my delight we were able to convert 'the shed' into the official HQ for The Lakeside Shed, and as a little nostalgic nod to former existences we were able to salvage the shed's beautiful rustic barn door to be used as a backdrop for all of our product photographs.

Naturally businesses grow and take unexpected twists in direction. For instance, The Lakeside Shed now specialises in wedding decor as well personalised gifts for the home. Whilst I originally set out to galvanise children through education, I now work on inspiring and motivating the whole family through the home's decor and gifts.

'If you want to change the world go home and love your family'. -Mother Teresa