Building a house is not an easy task. You need to design the architecture, pump in your hard-earned money and constantly monitor each and every step of the journey. A lot of construction waste is also generated in the process. But you don’t have to toss all of it. In fact, you can make use of the leftover construction material, especially wood, to create a number of articles for your home. For your convenience—and to help unravel the creative soul within you—we have made a list of some interesting and simple scrap wood projects.
Let’s begin!
Check Out These Amazing Scrap Wood Projects
All that leftover wood from building those cupboards and cabinets can be used to make a whole lot of other useful things. Please note you don’t necessarily have to be a master craftsman to take on these projects. These are simple articles that you can create with basic woodworking tools.
- Bird feeder
- Tea coasters
- Bookshelves
- Planters
- Nameplate
- Wooden basket
- Cutting board
- Kitchen tool organizer
- Roped wood plank as a swing
Let us discuss each of these scrap wood projects one by one.
Bird feeder
Who doesn’t like to see colourful little birds fluttering in their garden? There is no better way of attracting birds than creating a bird feeder. You don’t need to spend a fortune in making a home for these little, chirpy friends. A little imagination, few nails and a box full of scrap pieces of wood can easily make it work.
Cut out four rectangular blocks of wood to make the lower base of the birdhouse. You can either create a small box on top of this structure where you can plant some seasonal flowers or simply make the triangular structure on the top to complete the birdhouse feature.
Tea coasters
One of the best uses of wood left over from construction waste is to carve out tea coasters. They are quite simple to make and give a modern and contemporary look to your dining table. If you are lucky, you might find equally sized pieces of wood that you can place on your table as tea coasters.
In case you don’t find the right size, you can easily chop off the access wood, round off the edges and polish it up using lacquer finish. Or if you are artistic, you can chisel out intricate designs on the wooden block. Once done, finish it off with furniture polish to complete the look.
Bookshelves
This has to be one of the most basic scrap wood projects out there—one that can be completed in a short time. If you are working on the flooring of your house and there are pieces of wooden blocks lying around, don’t toss them into the dustbin.
Fasten these leftover wooden tiles with glue and some nails. Place angular stands beneath the shelves and using a screwdriver, drill the shelves into the wall. There you are! You can pat yourself on the back for creating a functional bookshelf.
Planters
Just like bookshelves and tea coasters, impressive planters can be made out of leftover wood pieces during house construction. These act as a perfect addition to your balcony, drawing room or living room décor. You can also place these wooden planters on your window sill where the plants can get plenty of sunlight and fresh air and the fine wooden polish on the planter would glow and shine in the sunlight.
Nameplate
The easiest thing to create with scrap wood found in construction waste is a nameplate. Plus, if you’ve just built a house, you probably are in need of one. You can use a rectangular block of wood, engrave the house number on it and install it above the doorbell. You can also use spray paint to make it slightly fancier if you think a wooden plate would be too basic.
Wooden basket
Utilizing scrap wood to create a wooden basket is a perfect way to make use of waste material. You can make it as a fruit or vegetable basket and place it on your dining table. This will surely impress the guests. But if you are not into fruit baskets, you can create a crate-like wooden basket and place it onto the back of your motorbike. This will help you carry extra load whenever you travel.
Cutting board
It’s impossible to complete a list of scrap wood projects without mentioning the cutting board.
A handy cutting board is a necessary kitchen accessory. A large chunk of wood and a saw is all you need to make the right-sized chopping board for your kitchen. After cutting out the size you need, remember to oil it to protect it from damaging the wood from dampness and water spillage.
You can also beautify it further by carving out a wooden heart shape and painting it red – just to give a warm feeling.
Kitchen tool organizer
If you love organizing and want to clear out things from your messy kitchen, a DIY kitchen tool organizer is probably what you’re looking for. Throwing your knives, spoons and spatulas inside a kitchen drawer is not a smart thing to do.
You will always be searching for the right spoon to stir your vegetables when cooking. How about creating your very own kitchen tool organizer where you can easily place your tools so that they are easily accessible whenever you need them. All you need is a strip of wood. That’s it. You can drill holes and hang the spoons in them. Isn’t this one of the easiest scrap wood projects?
Roped wood plank as a swing
Do your kids enjoy playing on a swing? If that is the case, then you wouldn’t want to throw a rectangular piece of wood left over from your recent house building project.
Utilizing pieces of wood is a fun thing to do, especially if you are doing it the DIY way. A chunk of leftover wood, drilling machine and a sturdy rope is all you need. Drill holes and let the rope pass through it. Tie the rope ends and let it hang from an old tree in your garden. Your kids would love it!
So, these were some of the most useful tips to utilize scrap wood. If you are looking for ways to maintain your wooden furniture, then check out our detailed blog on DIY ways to polish wood.
In case you are a DIY enthusiast and like doing things on your own, then you might want to check out some amazing DIY projects to complete in an afternoon. For more of such informative and lifestyle-related posts, stay tuned to Zameen Blog – the best lifestyle blog in Pakistan.
