Beautiful Christmas Eye Candy
Wipper Willow Showcases the Area’s Favorite Locations and Pastimes through Keepsake Gifts
Heirloom beauties sparkle and gleam in the light, showcasing Brad Wipperfurth’s newest creations. These products are designed with Okoboji in mind and remind people of some of the area’s favorite locations and pastimes.
Since 2003, Brad has been capturing his family’s memories through the creation of heirloom products, often celebrating special landmarks and celebrations. Whether it’s hand-blown glass ornaments, wooden puzzles or home décor, each piece tells a story and showcases everything Okoboji.
Brad launched Wipper Willow in 2003, with the goal of producing beautiful keepsake gifts – each one made from the finest of materials.
“Before Isa and I had kids, we enjoyed extensive travels and would bring home a special memento from each place we’d visit,” Brad shared. “We both really enjoyed Christmas and would often purchase a blown glass ornament and began to accumulate these special keepsakes. This is what led me to eventually starting Wipper Willow.”
Brad and Isa initially met in Wisconsin on a trip to watch the Milwaukee Brewers. Isa had moved from Spirit Lake to Wisconsin for work, while Brad grew up near Madison and had graduated from Waunakee High School. While falling in love, they also fell in love with each other’s hometowns!
Wipper Willow Launch
Establishing their family in Madison, WI, Brad revealed his first glass blown ornament in 2003. Wipper Willow was bornout of Brad’s marketing and artistic background, creating beautiful designs of special landmarks in both Wisconsin and Iowa.
“I graduated with degrees in commercial art and communications, so design has always had a significant influence in my life,” Brad said. “This led me to explore the creation of an heirloom product that people would treasure and become a keepsake that’s passed on for generations.”
During Brad’s research for business partners, he became connected with a family in Poland who produces high-quality glass-blown ornaments.
“We established a relationship, and I’ve become one of their main clients,” he shared.
Ornament Creations
From start to finish, it can take five months to produce a new ornament design. Once the holidays are complete, Brad begins designing the ideas he’s been considering and provides color schemes. The two parties go back and forth, until the family-owned business sends back molds, and then Brad provides additional critiques and color samples.
Creating the Ornaments
The glass maker begins by taking a glass cylinder and firing it’s wider end until it becomes softer. Next, they blow into the pipe end to stretch the glass into a basic shape of an ornament. Because other glass tubes are more bulbous at the center, this is the section that is then fired, and the glass maker will blow it into a more elongated bubble.
After this is complete, the glass bauble is placed into the mold and the glass maker blows extra hard.
“This allows the glass to expand into the mold’s crevices and the ornament takes its shape,” Brad said.
If other areas need to be blown out, the torch is aimed at that specific spot to expand the glass and pull out a particular section. So, the newly created ornament doesn’t shatter, the temperature is gradually lowered with a less intense flame until it becomes cool.
“The actual process takes place quickly, as you only have a few seconds to mold the glass before it becomes too cool or stiff to shape,” he added.
After the ornaments have cooled, they move down the line to gain shine. A silvering solution is poured into the bauble through the stem, before being dipped into warm water and the silvering chemicals become activated. The glass maker swirls the silvering through a light shake of the ornament to completely coat the inside of the piece. A final dip gives it a mirror finish from the inside out, before the silvering solution is emptied.
Next, the glass ornament is submerged in lacquer and the mirror finish shines through, creating an inner beauty. From there, each ornament gets an artist’s touch and specific details are added to every bauble.
“The artist will paint certain details by hand, with some pieces getting glitter, special glaze or special decorative details,” Brad explained. “My desire is to have a high-quality keepsake—a treasure families will remember a special occasion by.”
Once complete, the ornaments are shipped to the United States.
“They take my sketch and create a plastic model of the ornament, which is then used to make a two-part metal mold. I have a chance to look at the mold before they start making the ornaments for retail,” Brad explained.
In July 2021, the Wipperfurth’s moved their family to the Iowa Great Lakes area, bringing them closer to Isa’s parents and back to her hometown. Brad has been selling his heirloom creations at the Farmers Market in the Park, as well as at events like WOW weekend and other area Holiday Festivals.
The ornaments showcase special landmarks and events of the area, from a Nutty Bar, the Queen II and the Legend roller coaster. Other special baubles display a decorative Okoboji postcard, an Okoboji sailboat, or the Okoboji Summer Theatre, and so much more. Each one tells a story, which Brad says tells everyone’s story.
“It is so fun to hear people’s stories at the Farmers Market, especially on which ornament stands out to them because of something their family did or experienced when they went to that location,” he shared. “I love bringing memories to the forefront and then they’re remembered for generations because of our products.”
Other keepsake gifts he designs are wooden puzzles that are created by a family-owned business in England. He also has home décor that is geared towards the Iowa Great Lakes area.
“I have lots of other ideas that we are considering adding to our product line. We just know we want whatever we create to be a special gift, something different. It must be quality products that are reasonably priced and beautifully created with the finest of materials,” Brad said. “We want it to be special, and not just tell our story, but your family’s story.”
To purchase a Wipper Willow keepsake, visit wipperwillow.com or call 608-576-8521.
