When the pandemic shut the world down, Barbara and John Wilson turned to woodworking as a creative outlet. What started as a hobby in their Massapequa Park garage has grown into Wilson Woodworks Long Island, with a storefront at 5419 Merrick Road in Massapequa.

"I hate to say the pandemic blessed us, in that way. We needed to express ourselves and survive," Barbara Wilson says.

The couple creates custom signs, charcuterie boards, wedding pieces and personalized keepsakes, including special family recipes turned into wooden plaques.

"We have done wedding invitations on wood... and to have people have that memory last is just really satisfying," John Wilson says.