Built By Hand. Built Together.
A story of creativity, craftsmanship, and building something meaningful together.
Rustic Metalz began as a small family idea rooted in creativity and craftsmanship. What started with handmade metal art for a salon slowly evolved into a growing artisan brand built by Josie and Nathan. From the original hand plasma cutter to the custom CNC machine built from scratch, every piece tells the story of growing a business from humble beginnings and creating meaningful handcrafted work together.
Meet the Makers
Two creatives who met in Montana and built something beautiful together.
Josie
Growing up in Minnesota but feeling deeply connected to Montana, Josie brings an artistic soul and perfectionist eye to everything she touches. As the visionary behind Rustic Metalz, she's obsessed with creating beautiful, cohesive experiences—from branding and marketing to website design, events, and every detail of the customer journey.
Her nature-inspired creativity and meticulous approach to operations ensure that every piece tells a story and every interaction feels intentional. Josie balances the art of design with the science of business growth, building a brand that's as thoughtful as it is stunning.
Nathan
With a background in 3D animation and kitchen and bath design, Nathan learned welding and fabrication hands-on, turning creative ideas into tangible, beautifully crafted products. His easygoing personality balances a deeply detail-oriented approach to his work—he's obsessed with efficient fabrication processes and perfect layouts.
Nathan's love for nature and building things by hand shines through in every piece he creates. Together with Josie, he's built not just a business, but a life rooted in creativity, craftsmanship, and the Montana landscape they both love.
From Garage to Growing Brand
The story of Rustic Metalz — handmade beginnings, endless learning, and building something beautiful from scratch.
Handmade Beginnings
It all started in a small garage with a vision, a plasma cutter, and a dream to create something meaningful with our hands.
First Fish House Creations
Our first themed products captured the spirit of Minnesota lake life — handcrafted pieces that told a story.
First Art Show in Oronoco
We set up our first booth at a local art show in Oronoco, Minnesota. The response was overwhelming — people connected with our work.
Learning Fabrication & Design
Every piece taught us something new. We learned through trial, error, and countless hours perfecting our craft.
Selling Out at Early Shows
The demand grew faster than we could keep up. Show after show, we sold out — a beautiful chaos we embraced.
Expanding Across the Midwest
We hit the road, bringing our work to festivals and markets across the Midwest. Every trip was an adventure.
Building Side by Side
Working together as partners in life and business, we balanced marriage, art, and entrepreneurship — learning to grow together.
Taking Over the Business
A new chapter began as we took full ownership, ready to shape the future of Rustic Metalz with our vision.
Evolving Into Luxury Handcrafted Art
From garage beginnings to a premium artisan brand — every piece still handmade, every detail still intentional.
Every Piece Has A Process.
The Workshop Experience
Walk into our workshop and you'll experience organized chaos — the sound of machinery cutting through metal, sparks flying from the plasma cutter, the smell of hot steel and copper patina. This is where artistry meets fabrication, where every piece is handled multiple times before it's ready to ship.
We don't purchase designs online. Every Rustic Metalz product starts as a hand-drawn concept, refined digitally, then brought to life through a combination of modern CNC technology and traditional metalworking techniques. Each piece combines artistic vision with technical craftsmanship.
Our obsession with quality means we're never satisfied with 'good enough.' From the initial cut to the final protective coating, we balance speed with precision, efficiency with artistry. These aren't mass-produced decorations — they're heirloom-quality pieces built to last for generations.
This is the difference between decoration and art. Between something made and something crafted. Between a purchase and an heirloom.
Building A Dream One Show At A Time.
Every weekend, we load up the trailer with our latest creations and hit the road. From Minnesota to across the Midwest, we travel to art shows and festivals, bringing our handcrafted metal art directly to the people who will love it.
It's not glamorous—we sleep in the Tahoe instead of hotels, constantly creating new inventory to keep up with demand, and balance the beautiful chaos of marriage, business, travel, and creativity all at once.
But there's something magical about watching someone's face light up when they see a piece that speaks to them. Hearing their stories about their cabin, their pet, their business. Creating meaningful artwork that will hang in their homes for years to come.
We've met thousands of people, built relationships that span years, and created a business one show at a time. It's exhausting and exhilarating, challenging and rewarding—and we wouldn't have it any other way.
Every weekend feels like a mix between a road trip, an art gallery, and building a dream in real time.
This Is More Than Metal.
Rustic Metalz is about more than creating décor. It is about creating meaningful pieces that become part of someone's home, cabin, business, memories, and story.
Every piece is intentionally designed to feel artistic, timeless, and high quality — not disposable or trend-driven. We create original artwork from scratch and do not use purchased mass-market design files.
Our products are built to last, crafted with heirloom-quality craftsmanship and meaningful personalization. This is artwork that feels luxurious and personal — pieces that evoke emotional reactions, honor pet memorials, and become meaningful gifts.
We create artwork people proudly display for years.
Built to outlast trends.
Craftsmanship people can feel.
Artwork designed to become part of a story.
We're Just Getting Started.
We're building Rustic Metalz into a nationally recognized artisan brand—one that transforms spaces through handcrafted metal art and luxury business branding.
Our vision includes large-scale commercial signage, premium interior design partnerships, cohesive décor collections, and installations that leave lasting impressions.
We dream of working with premium businesses, designers, commercial projects, and hospitality spaces—creating artwork that transforms experiences, not just walls.
As we grow, we're committed to teaching and mentoring emerging artists, building a team while preserving the craftsmanship and authenticity that define us.
This Is More Than Metal.
For over a decade, we've poured our hearts into every piece we create. What started as a passion project in our workshop has grown into something far more meaningful—a life's work built on craftsmanship, authenticity, and the belief that handmade still matters.
Every weld, every patina, every custom design carries a piece of our story. We're not chasing trends or mass production. We're building artwork designed to outlast both—pieces that become part of homes, businesses, cabins, and memories.
This is the balance of marriage and ambition, artistry and metalwork, creativity and grit. This is Rustic Metalz, piece by piece, year after year.
Thank you for being part of our journey.