The Leafcutter Designs Story

Leafcutter Designs is a creative studio in Oakland, CA run by artist Lea Redmond and her brother Devin. We seek to create a more playful, peaceful world by offering curious goods, surprising services, and participatory projects.

Many of our goods started out as handmade gifts for family and friends. After seeing lots of people enjoy what we made, we decided to make bigger batches. We try to make everything as close to home as possible with eco-friendly materials. We hope that our curious creations delight you and inspire your own playful creativity.

The World's Smallest Post Service began as a quirky social art project in 2008. Lea strapped a tiny wooden desk to her back and bicycled to a nearby bakery, where she set up her miniature post office for the first time. Since then, this service has expanded online to offer tiny custom letters and cards, as well as packages with whimsical objects and sweet messages. We've sent thousands of tiny mail items to recipients all over the world, and we'd love to send along a tiny missive for you!

Leafcutter Designs also offers custom invitations, object and product design services, and a range of unconventional consulting services for weddings and other special occasions. Lea loves finding just the right idea, thing, or words to help you make your event both intensely personal and memorable.

Our participatory projects invite you to experience life in whimsical, thoughtful new ways. These projects are generally free to join and are open to all. Whether you're a knitter, a writer, a romantic, or just about anything else, we'd love to include you in these creative adventures.

More About Lea

Leafcutter Designs has been a bustling workshop since 2008, but Lea's been making things since she was itty-bitty, like this miniature paper Coke machine.

When she was a kid, sometimes her parents would pull her out of school for the day and the whole family would play hooky at the art museum. Later on, she decided that anything can become art when thoughtfully considered. No museum needed – just curiosity.

Lea continued to be curious while attending Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA where she studied philosophy, politics and environmental studies. Her honors senior thesis project was about the curious ways that artifacts and words catch our attention and invite us to have life-changing insights.

Before starting Leafcutter Designs, Lea curated an exhibit about the history of wool in the Pacific Northwest, spread the word about Fair Trade Certified coffee, taught a bookmaking and haiku class at The Edible Schoolyard, coordinated a creek restoration project at the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, and even assisted a scent alchemist for a spell. Lea believes that even the smallest, subtlest experience can change the world.

More About Devin

Lea's brother, Devin, does all of the ho-hum things required to run a whimsical and often quirky business. He makes the website look awesome, keeps the to-do list in ship shape, and works to partner with other creative businesses – all from his simple wooden desk by the window. Sometimes he even comes up with a shiny new product or smart design tweak of his own.

Devin attended Williams College and later met his wife in the graduate MBA program at Berkeley. They have a young son that isn't yet allowed to play with our tiny goods.