Using reclaimed wood in your DIY projects is a great way to add character to your home and keep the cost down. We've picked some of our favourite projects from Hester Van Overbeek's newest book, Made with Salvaged Wood, to give you some DIY upcycling inspiration.
1. DISPLAY - Plants stands
Every house needs indoor plants—not only are they good for the air quality, but they also add a welcoming touch to your living room. These two plant stands are great for grouping plants together. You could fill your stands with pots of pussy willow, aloe vera, succulents, and sansevieria, but you can fill the stands with flower vases or magazines as well. Made from a wooden box and a broom handle, this is such a simple project and very quick to complete.
2. STORAGE - Mug Storage
This mug storage used to be an old cupboard door, but by giving it some picture hangers and hammering in some large nails, it is transformed into very handy kitchen storage.
It’s the ideal place to hang your mugs, spoons, and pans, and super easy to make. You can also make one for your craft room or workshop and hang your paintbrushes or tools from the nails.
3. FURNITURE - Slab Coffee Table
This side table is so easy to make and will introduce some rustic charm to your living space. All you need is a thick tree slice and four legs. The hairpin legs used here are 8 inches (20cm) high—the perfect height next to a comfy chair. These legs are an untreated metal, but you can buy these legs spray painted in a range of colors if you prefer a bright color pop.
The tree slice that makes the top of the table needs to be dried correctly and treated against bugs. You can buy these slabs from a garden center or farm store.
4. DECORATION - Decorative Houses
Sometimes you have scrap pieces of wood that are too small to reuse in other projects, but also too big to throw away. Why not turn them into these decorative houses? Painted in a range of toning colors, they will look great on your windowsill, mantelpiece, or bookshelf. Keep making these houses with leftovers from other building jobs and you can create a whole city! Make the houses even more versatile and turn them into candlesticks by adding a small piece of copper pipe to the roof.
5. OUTDOORS - Outdoor Bookcase
This bookcase is super easy to build from a few old floorboards. If you have a patio garden, it’s nice to introduce a few pieces of furniture to turn your space into an outdoor room. This bookcase will not only hold pots of herbs but also drinks and snacks for your barbecue parties.
For the full projects and more inspiration check out Made with Salvaged Wood by Hester Van Overbeek.