Even as people are outraged of the burning the amazon forest, calling for the conservation of forests, and speaking out against environmental degradation, the woodcraft is still quite popular.
Some people reason out that many wood works are done with softwood, a large portion of these trees coming from industrial forests. But it still means they take up space where forests could have been regrown. Trees are indeed produced for human use, but it is not enough reason to be wasteful. Remember that instead of having a tree plantation, the area could’ve been used for other purposes — may be for food production, or even for growing a primary forest.
The wood leftover from constructions, furniture-making, and other similar activities can be reused instead of storing them in some shed, left to rot. Additionally, we also amass wood scraps from broken furniture that we simply leave in our attics or basements. We don’t often bother with these as we see it as an opportunity to upgrade our interiors with new furniture.
Danish artist Thomas Dambo was able to create several giant sculptures from salvaged scrap wood. With the proper equipment such as a laser cutter for wood, scraps could also be turned into different designs to accent our homes. Below are some wood crafts you could do with leftover and junk wood.
Latticed screens
Lattice artworks are popular in different parts of the world. In Islamic countries, they even use this to decorate their holy places of worship. While most enduring lattice screens are made of iron, some are also done in wood. The intricacy of these designs shows the craftsmanship of the people dedicated to this kind of art.
For homes, latticed panels could be used as temporary partitions. This kind of partition gives some privacy but also ensures that there is nothing kept hidden on the other side. Parents working from home who are at the same supervising their children might want to consider using this kind of panels. Lattice art is also used as window screens for the same reason for semi-privacy.
Accent walls
An accent wall does not have to be made of elaborate materials. Scrap wood has become popular with interior designers, making collages out of small blocks of wood.
Even scraps from softwood could last long if treated properly. You can have it treated with a borate wood preservative solution on top of coating with a good amount of varnish or paint.
Laminated wood planks
Instead of using tiles for the sink or the sides of your tub, you could use laminated wood planks from scrap wood. You can even do the lamination yourself. Similar to an accent wall, you can have the wood treated to make it last longer.
Scraps of plywood could also be laminated. Just add a molding around the entire area so that their edges could not be seen. The result would look like it was made of real wooden planks.
Foldable tables and small DIY furniture
We see a lot of these small foldable tables in small house videos or DIY RVs. You might have a large space in your home that you do not need to keep folding your furniture. However, they have their uses. Foldable tables, for example, can be set up if you would need extra space when doing a project. You can also set it up in your backyard rather than lug your heavy iron patio table. What is very convenient with the foldable furniture is that you can easily store them away when you’re not using them. For this woodwork, you will just need some hinges to attach and lock leg support for a wooden board.
Other DIY furniture could be a storage box that could double as a chair or some bare hanging shelves that could help unclutter your workspace.
Small carvings and other crafts
This may not be for everyone, but if you have a good hand for detailed work, small scraps of wood can be turned into carved paperweights, bookends, and even toys. You will also need to invest in the proper materials that could be used for refined work on wood.
We’ve been so used to seeing and using wood in our daily life that we’ve taken the wood industry for granted. With the worsening environmental crisis across the globe, it would be wise to finally look at how we see these resources. Already there are moves for offices and operations to go paperless. It would also be nice to look at the other uses of wood, and how this resource can be given justice.
