Meet Molly Barker of The Rootless Spruce in Broomfield

Today we’d like to introduce you to Molly Barker.

Molly, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started The Rootless Spruce in 2013. My husband had bought a knife online that didn’t come with a sheath, so he and I went to Hobby Lobby to buy some scrap leather for him to turn into a sheath… I had never worked with leather before, but have always loved making things with my hands, so I told him that I’d give the sheath making a try.

That sheath was the first thing that I made of leather (he still uses it, by the way), but I quickly changed course to making leather-bound travel journals utilizing a binding technique that I had learned during an elective art class at my university. The journals were beautiful works of art… I used handmade decorative paper to create chapters, and thick cotton paper that was perfect for any type of media, be it pen and ink, watercolor, or acrylic. They were bound in high-quality local leather with waxed linen thread in beautiful and unique stitches and patterns. My first Christmas selling online, I ended up completely selling out of all of my stock of journals and though I loved making them, I decided that the amount of time and heart that it took to make each journal couldn’t really be measured in a specific dollar amount.

My husband encouraged me to continue and bought me a beautiful Juki industrial leather sewing machine for Christmas, and with it, my business began to evolve and shift away from journals but continued with a traveling theme. I began making passport cases and wallets, which were very popular, and I enjoyed making them, and I also did a lot of custom work. This was incredibly fun, working with individuals to take a vague idea of the customer and turn it into something beautiful that they will cherish for years, if not decades.

Shortly after making the switch from journals to wallets, I realized that when you travel, you need more than a nice wallet to hold your passport, so I began making hip bags, purses and backpacks. Each of these items has been explicitly designed to be timeless, functional and unique, and they are meant to make you feel adventurous and stylish not only while you travel, but on all of life’s daily adventures.

Since starting my leather journey, my materials have come a long way from the hard scrap leather from Hobby Lobby. I now work with some of the countries oldest and finest tanneries, Horween for my oiled leathers, and Wickett & Craig for my veggie tanned hides. I also use solid brass hardware for all of my products, which require buckles or snaps, partly because I have found that solid brass is high quality and ages well, but mostly because I find the combination of brass and leather to be beautiful.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I feel like there have been challenges in running my business, but I’ve never felt that it was a bumpy or impassable road, more that it was a bit winding. There are lessons which you need to learn along the way, but it has all been very gratifying.

When I started The Rootless Spruce, it was just me and my husband, so there was plenty of time, and not much chaos, but we welcomed our first son in 2014, and our second in 2017. I would say that working from my home studio is challenging with two (extremely active!) little boys, but I also consider myself extremely lucky that I am able to pursue something which I enjoy so much, while also being able to be a stay at home mother to my little guys.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the The Rootless Spruce story. Tell us more about the business.
At The Rootless Spruce, I make quality leather goods that are timeless, functional and unique, that make you feel adventurous and stylish not only while you travel, but on all of life’s daily adventures. My products don’t just look great – they’re thoughtful, versatile and they last.

I would say that my business is really known for making beautiful leather products that are tailored to someone that has an active lifestyle. One of the most gratifying things is, to be able to receive a shipment of hides, look at them and be able to visualize what it will be made into. To be able to start with a hide and a vision and by the end of the day, have a complete and polished product… it’s a wonderful feeling.

What are your plans for the future? What are you looking forward to or planning for – any big changes?
I have a small side-business in the making that will focus on high-quality leather playthings for little ones. As a mother, I’ve been disappointed time and again with poor quality or overly-complex toys, so I decided to take measures into my own hands! It is currently still in the works, but I’m aiming for an early fall release.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.therootlessspruce.com
• Email: info@therootlessspruce.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therootlessspruce/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therootlessspruce/
• Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheRootlessSpruce

Image Credit:
Ayna Lorenzo, Mothwing Photo

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