Kevin Wiens

I like working with unique materials in designing these stars. They’ve been made from new hardwood to 100-year-old barn wood, some from wood my great grandfather milled in the 1920s. My latest creations are from wine barrel staves. I learned to make stars from plywood from a local trailer factory. Most have a patriotic theme, but I have designs for all seasons and holidays. One star looks like a pumpkin, another a snowflake. The stars are mostly made from recycled materials, some from the off cuts of other stars so very little waste.

I’ve been making these stars for 8 years now. I found this style in an Aurora mall about 20 years ago and fell in love with them. In 2007, my son was killed in Iraq. I’m now a Gold Star Dad, this made stars even more necessary to make. A lot of the stars go to veterans in memory of my son. There’s a street in Dallas named in honor of my son, Wiens Street. In 2020, on his birthday, each house on Wiens Street received a star. It’s quite an honor to see a star displayed on the houses, gates, or fences on Wiens Street.