Meet: Jace Morgan, Morning Wood Bracelets

PEEPS | those who Create

This season, LAKElife Magazine is celebrating area ARTISTS— those who share their creative gifts to help celebrate the beauty that is lake life.

One-Of-A-Kind + Going For it

Wood Bracelets

Meet: Jace Morgan

artist + owner of Morning Wood Bracelets

by Courtney Rawlinson | Photos submitted

Jace at work, creating specialty bracelets

A Wawasee local artist uses his creativity and talent to help spread sentiment + joy to others. This talented and adventurous individual is Jace Morgan. His company, Morning Wood Bracelets, began rather organically after a dear family friend passed away. After the family’s loss, Jace used the wood from the beloved friend’s wooden water skis to carve bracelet pieces for the family members. Soon after, word spread of the sentimental bracelet pieces, and others reached out asking him to carve bracelets from various reclaimed woods that also held personal significance.

And so the idea for Morning Wood Bracelets was born. And then, by water it grew. And now? It’s a fulfilling, busy business.

Jace now sells his bracelets in shops throughout the LAKElife area (and across the country and world!), and to this day, he still carves every piece himself. Bonus? He also writes each customer a personal note about the story of their bracelet piece.

Cool, indeed.

You and your wife, Rikki, began this business journey with an adventure by water. What was the desire behind creating Morning Wood Bracelets?

To sustain our love for travel. In our early twenties, my wife and I sold everything we had and moved onto a fully restored 25-foot sailboat to sail from Lake Michigan to the Florida Keys, selling bracelets as we went to support ourselves. We just went for it. We successfully sailed all the way from Lake Michigan to the Florida Keys by navigating our boat down the Mississippi River and across the Gulf of Mexico. Despite the fun and experiences we had along the way, that was when we ultimately decided to move back to the lake area to be with family, focus on the bracelets, and have a more stationary home.

And the lakes are ‘home’ now?

Yes, but I grew up on the North Shore of Lake Wawasee, so the lakes have always been a monumental part of my life. Both of my companies (Morgan Made Designs + Morning Wood Bracelets) were started right here, and are still located on Lake Wawasee. We hand-carve every design— from bracelets to cutting boards, cornhole boards, and even sculptures—in our shop overlooking the lake. As a child, I spent every nice day skiing and wakeboarding in Johnson’s Bay, taking sunset cruises with family, and spending long summer days relaxing at the sandbar. It is such a blessing to now be able to provide this lifestyle with our daughter as she grows up in this community. Lakes have shaped and impacted almost every decision in our lives.

Jace + Rikki Morgan

Have you expanded your woodworking offerings?

Once we returned home, we had also decided to start another woodworking company (Morgan Made Designs) in which we make various wooden epoxy inlay signs, tables, benches, and even cornhole boards! This all started from learning how to work with epoxy while on the boat and doing endless fiberglass projects from constantly breaking things on the boat! We, once again, ‘just went for it,’ and bought a CNC to help us carve different fun, intricate, custom work.

How can readers find your work?

To see more products, and to read the blog of our journey (on water and off!), visit our website at morningwoodbracelets.com, or email us anytime at morningwoodbracelets@gmail.com. We love to hear from the community and would love the opportunity to create a one-of-a-kind piece for you!

Do you know a creative lake lovin’ local who we should learn more about? Great! Email us at sue@lakelifemagazine.com.