ABOUT US

About Flamin' Signs and Boxes

Flamin' Signs and Boxes started in Mick's shed over 13 years ago — not with signs, but with picture frames. Mick was hand-making his own mouldings, trying to compete with cheap imported framing, when his uncle gave him a book on pyrography. He bought a pyrography tool to add a unique burnt-timber touch to his frames and mirrors, and "Flamin' Frames" was born.

After a few quiet years at local markets, a passerby asked if Mick could make a timber sign for his property — like the one Mick had made for his own framing business. That customer loved it, and "Flamin' Signs" was born.

From there, the range grew to include hand-burnt original artworks on timber plaques, personalised Mango Wood boxes, and on-the-spot hand-burning of names into wooden trinket boxes — and "Flamin' Signs and Boxes" became the business it is today. Soon after, Mick introduced on-the-spot engraving of names into beautifully grained Olive Wood Hearts, which became especially popular with couples.

From the Markets to Hillside

For much of the 2010s, Mick sold his work at some of Melbourne's best-known outdoor markets — Queen Victoria Market on Wednesday nights and Thursday-to-Saturday day markets, and St Kilda Esplanade Market every Sunday. Both are major tourist markets, and over the years Mick made a habit of asking customers where their engraved piece was headed. Writing every answer down, that tally now stands at customers in 113 countries carrying home a piece of Flamin' Signs and Boxes.

For six years, Mick hand-burned every single piece himself — at markets and at home — 12 hours a day, seven days a week. When the physical toll on his wrist and forearm became too much, he invested in a laser engraver in 2017, freeing him up to focus his hand-burning skills specifically on artwork, plaques, and Olive Wood Hearts, while signs and personalised boxes moved to laser engraving for precision and consistency.

From 2017, Mick ran a container shop within Queen Victoria Market, where he became the only on-the-spot laser engraver of phone cases and Mango Wood boxes in Australia at the time.

When COVID-19 forced the markets to close in 2020, Mick shifted the business fully online — and used the time to develop new products, including Fractal Burnt Charcuterie Boards, Personalised Timber Growth Charts, and Mango Wood Watch Organiser Boxes.

Once restrictions lifted, Mick made the call to leave the markets for good and base the business permanently from his own workshop in Hillside, Victoria — where Flamin' Signs and Boxes operates today, shipping custom engraved timber signs, boxes, and chopping boards Australia-wide.

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Flamin' Signs and Boxes provides a unique, handcrafted gift idea for the person who has everything or is hard to buy for.

100% designed and made in Australia, using Australian grown, sustainable timbers.