Amid piles of wood from old Victorian houses and hotel doors, Dixie Oyler of Rapid City pieced together another wall hanging to sell at the West Boulevard Summer Festival. Oyler sold almost all of her products last weekend at the Sugar Valley Festival in Scottsbluff, Neb., and she was busily preparing more merchandise for this weekend.

"I never have idle time," Oyler said. "The word 'bored' is not in my vocabulary."

Oyler's craft booth, called "Country Style," offers wooden pieces she describes as "shabby chic."

Looking around her garage that serves as a woodworking shop, it is evident that her pieces are truly trash-to-treasure. Oyler transforms antique lamps into birdhouse stands, headboards into benches and doors into wall hangings. The seemingly random pieces of wood and metal lying about are harmoniously patched together to create unique birdhouses and garden signs.

Drawing up new designs and saving items from getting thrown away are Oyler's two favorite parts about making the projects.

"I like recycling old stuff," Oyler said. "Too much stuff goes to the dump that could be re-used."

Oyler is a veteran when it comes to the craft-fair scene. She began selling handmade items about 30 years ago and has participated in the West Boulevard Festival almost every year. When Oyler decided to stay at home while her three children were growing up, she began woodworking to earn a little extra money on the weekends. She used to do multiple craft shows a year, but now, she is cutting back to about two each summer.

"I just love creating," Oyler said. "I keep trying to quit, but I start designing something new, and I think, 'Oh! I can't quit yet. …'"

Oyler gets most of her materials from friends and thrift stores.

"What's really funny is that I work at a thrift store, and sometimes the stuff I make will get donated back to the store," Oyler said with a smile.

She took a woodworking class at Ellsworth Air Force Base to learn how to use the power tools necessary to complete her creations.

"People will say, 'Did your husband make these?'" Oyler said. "But he just helps me set up the booth."

Oyler attributes her crafting success to being in 4-H as a child, where she learned how to make many crafts. She also grew up with eight siblings, so she learned how to reuse things and how to make do with what she had.

Oyler recommends that if people want to start making crafts for shows, they should have a passion for what they are creating. She also recommends taking classes in order to do their craft well.

"All of the compliments are what make it worthwhile," Oyler said. "It's fun to drive through neighborhoods and see my garden pokes in yards. That's kind of cool."

Oyler's booth will be one of more than 100 booths at this weekend's West Boulevard Festival. Offerings are diverse, including food, embroidery items, concrete statuary, stained glass and animal statues made from trees.

There will be horse-drawn wagon tours of the historic West Boulevard neighborhood and entertainment both days in the gazebo.

Saturday will feature cloggers; Gypsy, Black Hills Belly Dance; Middle Eastern-influenced music by Marav; Sugar Free Jazz; Tombstone Shadow; and The Boy Band. Sunday will feature Donnie Williams; coffeehouse music by Goeztinger and Friends, Steve Thorpe and Mike Reardon; and DD and the Fayrohs.

If you go

What: West Boulevard Summer Festival

When: Saturday, June 14, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, June 15 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Wilson Park

Cost: Free