Bob Carberry’s love of putting a smile on the faces of his wife and children is how Billy Bob Creations got its start.

A native of St. Augustine, Bob moved back to his beloved hometown after graduating from Florida State University and started a family. Always the tinkerer, Bob would pick up sticks, leaves, acorns and other natural items and carve out or draw silly faces on them to amuse his wife and children.

It all began about three years ago with a palm frond. Bob was in the park watching his girls play when he picked-up a palm frond off the ground. With his trusty knife, he began carving a face. He showed it to his girls and they giggled with delight (Bob’s intended reaction), and exclaimed that it looked like a cartoon character they liked named Billy. Bob brought it home and his wife liked it so much she hung it on the wall. From that point on, anytime Bob created something with a face, they were known as “Billy”.

Not long after this, Bob began acquiring various power tools and took his tinkering to the next level. He was in his shop with his daughter playing around with his newly acquired drill press he received for Christmas when the idea hit him like a bolt from above: wearable “Billys”! He found a small piece of discarded wood, drilled a hole in it, carved a crude face, put a string on it and presented it to his delighted wife. And so, the Billy necklace was created.

Bob began making Billys as gifts for friends and family. He got such a positive reaction that they encouraged him to start selling them. Before he knew it, he was in business. He added his namesake to Billy and Billy Bob Creations was officially born.

Always creative, Bob quickly branched out to handcraft other wooden creations with his signature faces including mobiles, boxes and figurines. Whatever the product, his goal is the same: to make people smile! Billy Bob Creations tagline, coined by his wife, says it all “Happy faces for happy people!”

Let Billy Bob Creations put a smile on your face when you visit his booth at Made in St. Augustine.