Don Leydens

As far back as I can remember, I have always loved wood.  When I had my first experience on the lathe, I knew I had found a way for me to "show off" beautiful wood and be creative at the same time. Turning instantly became my passion and it still is.

I am currently president of the Chapel Hill Woodturners, give club demonstrations and teach students at my home studio. I have also taught woodturning at John C. Campbell Folk School and written numerous articles on turning. I am a member of the American Association of Woodturners and the Woodturners Guild of North Carolina.

I strive to create high quality work utilizing elegant shapes and clean lines that show of the beauty of the wood. A lot of care goes into my work and I like to think that there is a little piece of me in each object pictured in this gallery.

I hope you enjoy my pieces.

Don Leydens

Burl Cup

Goblet Grouping

Burly Oak Cup

Cecil's Ornament

Buckeye Goblet

Orlan's Gavel

Gail's Box Elder Box

Mike's Little Box

Eucalyptus Box

Ambrosia Maple Platter

Cedar Burl Bowl

Flock of Bird Houses

Winged Maple Bowl

Osage Orange Bowl

Carving Mallet

Mace & Stand for ECU Dental School

Red Stained Goblet

Green Stained Goblet

Pecan Goblet

Dyed Big Leaf Maple Goblet

Mahogany Flute

Australian Mallee Burl Platter

Carved Lattice Goblet

Goblet Garden of Dyed Big Leaf Maple

Small Mushroom Garden

Large Mushroom Garden

Another Mushroom Garden

Knives w/Handmade
Handles and Block

Christmas Tree Grove

Diamondwood Bud Vase

Spalted Maple Bowl

Spalted Maple Bowl

Dyed Flat-Rim Bowl

Maple Bowl w/Carved Black Rim

Large Laminated Dish

Walnut Platter w/Center Medallion

Dyed Bowl (Top View)

Dyed Bowl (Bottom View)

Maple Platter w/Dyed & Textured Rim

Cherry Platter w/Multi-Center Rim

Mushroom Garden in Bowl

5 Goblets from Campbell Course

Spalted Maple Goblet

Another Mushroom Garden

Mushroom Garden Globe

Textured Bowl

Olivewood Tableware Set

Ice Cream Scoop

Spalted Candlestick

Mahogany & Milliput Goblet

Heavily Spalted Maple Bowl

Shallow Cedar Bowl

Cedar Plate

Hollow Form and Base

Small Laminated Wood Bowl

Goblet

Dyed Goblet

Dyed Goblet

Martinis Anyone?

Goblet Trio

Forest Floor Tableau

Hourglass

Christmas Tree Forest

Birdhouse

Birdhouse

Birdhouse

Spalted Ambrosia Maple Platter (16")

Redwood Platter w/Curled Rim

Big Leaf Maple Burl Goblets

Curly Maple Box (5.25" x 7")

Flaming Box Elder Salad Bowl

Poplar Buggy Bowl (8")

Brown Malee Burl Bowl (10")

Above View of Bowl on Left

Large Ambrosia Maple Bowl

Big Oak Burl Bowl

Gold Goblet Oak Burl and Holly

Mini Urns Holly

Holly Disc Vase
w/Alabaster Stone Base

One Piece Cedar Vase (11")

Honey Locust Winged Bowl (19" x 8" x 2")

Spalted Pear Bowl (8" x 3")

Rosewood and Holly Box

Box Lid Interior Showing Insert

Honey Locust Winged Bowl (19")

Spalted Sycamore Platter (13" x 2")


Grenadillo Bowl Form w/Irregular Rim

Red Box Elder Bowl (9")

2000 Year Old Curly Redwood Bowl (12.5")

Above View of Bowl

3 Crabby Vases: Crab Apple with Bird

Maple Vase w/Bark Inclusion

Mango Tree Wide Mouth Bowl

Ash Bowl Dyed Orange Inside & Red Outside w/Orange Gilder Paste Rubbed into the Grain 

Small Ash Bowl w/Blue Gilder Paste Rubbed into the Grain

Textured and Painted Bowl (4.5")

Set of Mahogany Vases Painted Gunmetal Gray

Big Leaf Maple Burl Bowl
Dyed Three Colors

"Pluto Platter" of Paduk & Burned Dowels w/Aluminum Oil Finish

Rectangular Walnut Bowl Form w/Oil Finish (18")

Cedar End Grain Bowl
w/Lacquer Finish

Cedar Bowl at Left Repaired w/Biscuits

Cedar Bowl w/Lacquer Finish (15")

Spalted Maple Bowl w/Oil Finish (14")

Spalted Maple Natural Edge Bowl
w/Oil Finish (8")

Cypress Bowl w/Oil Finish (7")

"Airbrush Push" Platter
Jo Sonja Iridescent Paints

Bleached Maple Vase
Woodburned & Colored w/Markers

Koa Vase (7") in Memory of Phil Bushnell

After Cracking, This Curly Maple Platter Was Planed, Re-assembled & Decorated

Cedar Bowl w/ Lacquer Finish (8.5")

Chakta Vega Bowl w/Tung Oil Finish (5.5")

Madrone Tree

Group of Sea Urchin Ornaments
w/ Finials of Various Woods

Ornament w/Red Heart 

"Sputnik" Sea Urchin Ornament

2019 Salad Bowl Challenge Entry

Golden Gauge Trophy w/2019 Finalists

Spalted Maple Bowl w/Oil Finish (7")

Cedar Biscuit Bowl

Holly & Milliput Morel Mushroom

One Piece Texas Ebony Goblet (7.5")

Plexiglass & MilliputPlatter 

Dyed Bigleaf Maple Platter (11.5")

Sycamore Bowl (6")

Small Sycamore Bowl w/Milliput Inlay

Walnut Beads of Courage Football Box

Open View of Football Box

Alarm Clock of Zebra Wood, Ebony & Gilded Holly

Pear Bowl w/Milliput Inlay (8.5")

Orangeheart Bullet Bowl (6")
w/45 and 38 Bullets

Mimosa Bullet-Casing Bowl (5.5")
w/45 Casings and Black Milliput

 Macassur Ebony Goblet (7.5")

Maple Burl Goblet

Resin and Spalted Maple Burl Vase

Walnut, Resin and Potpourri Box

Resin and Spalted Maple Burl Vase (9")

Teal Resin and Burl Vase

Maple Burl Bowl (10.5" x 1.5")

Resin & Burl Platter (10.5")

Ash Bowl
Wire Brushed and Painted 

Bradford Pear Bowl  with Blue and Silver Auto Paint

Curly Maple Bowl
Dyed Red and Black

Curly Maple Leaf Goblet

Dyed Big Leaf Maple Burl Vase (14")

Resin and Purple Heart Box
With Burl Handle

Cedar Bird House

Woodburned Ash Bowl (9")

Box Elder and Ebony Hollow Form (16" x 8")

Hollow Form with Inside of Top Displayed

Cedar Pedestal Bowl (11" x 9")

Tigerwood Box with Abalone Shell and Mother of Pear Inlay

Revolver Pen

Stan's Koi Pen

Holiday Trees

Cedar Trees

Holiday Tree Forest

Purpleheart Bowl with Abalone Inlay

Vases

Vases

Miniature Vases

Miniature Vases

Miniature Vases


Australian Burl Bowl

Embossed Maple Vase

Mini Platters Made from A Small Burl

Spalted Maple Bowl (10")

Quilted Maple Bowl (7.5")

Bonsai Hollow Form

Padauk Plate (9.5")

Crab Apple Vase Set

Buckeye Burl Hollow Form (11.5")

Box Elder Vase (13")