Scrap Wood Reuse
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Wood makes up about 6 percent of the waste stream in the United States. Get tips on how to find scrap wood and make simple scrap wood projects. Learn about my favorite artists who make items from scrap wood.
Great Sources of Scrap Wood
- Wooden shipping palettes – Is this wood pallet safe to use?
- Clementine boxes
- Construction, demolition and renovation projects
- Trash Day
- Your Garden
- The Beach
- Hockey Sticks
- Old Mattresses and Box Springs – Tips from Trashmagination’s podcast on taking apart mattresses & box springs
- Bamboo
- Old Barns being deconstructed
- Cabinet & Furniture manufacturers
- Habitat for Humanity ReStore
- Freecycle
Fun Scrap Wood Projects
- Trashmagination Pinterest Board for Wood Scrap project ideas
- Trashmagination Pinterest Board – Projects made for Nature Items including branches
Project #1: Planter Box from Recycled Fence Wood
Planter box from recycled fence wood – built May 2017
Project #2 – Ornament Tree from Taiko Bachi (Drumsticks) and Scrap Wood
Ornament Tree from Recycled Taiko Bachi (Drum Sticks) – made June 2017
Project #3 – Block Prints – Craft Foam on Scrap Wood
Wood block made with craft foam and scrap wood, July 2017
Project #4 – Scavenger Hunt in a Corn Maze
Map Station in Corn Maze – Wood Scrap Ideas
Project #5 – Nail and String Art
Skeleton Nail and String Art, October 2013
Other Nail and String Art Inspirations
- DIY Bar in Portland, Oregon – offer craft projects you can do while socializing. One project is a map of the United States. You put a red yarn heart in the places that are meaningful to you.
- Agnes in August is a Canadian artist who specializes in Mountain String Art
Project #6 – My Mom’s Sailboat Bird Feeders
My Mom’s Sailboat Bird Feeder Class at Family Nature Summit, July 2005
Project #7 – Isaiah’s Scroll Saw Handiwork
Learn more about his work in this Trashmagination blog about scrap wood scrollwork.
Wood brackets carved by Isaiah “Nokey” Fraser
Project #8 – Bookshelves and Lamp from Broken Rowing Shells by my Sister
See how we cut the rowing shells into manageable lengths in this earlier Trashmagination blog.
 Lamp Made from Rowing Shell |
 Making a Book Shelf from a Rowing Shell |
Artists I Admire Who Use Scrap Wood
Thomas Dambo
Remake Christmas Video
Happy Forest Video
Kirsty Elson
Kirsty Elson Designs from Studio Wallop on Vimeo.
Lee Borthwick
Lee Borthwick – Installation Artist from Ryan Evans on Vimeo.
Zeke Leonard
Balwen Wood Works – buttons, cufflinks and other items from wood scraps
Getting Rid of Scrap Wood
- Reclaimed lumber companies, such as Dakota Timber Company
- Organizations with a woodshop, such as Kid Museum, Tinkering Schools or Maker Spaces.
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