Monday, January 25, 2016

Scrappy Shapes

I am sure this will come as no surprise to anyone who knows me or has read my blog, I am a saver and I have a tough time throwing some things out.
scrapwood, reclaimed wood, miter saw, http://bec4-beyondthepicketfence.blogspot.com/2016/01/scrappy-shapes.html
My motto is, when life gives you scraps, SAVE and USE THEM! I keep a bucket at the end of my chop saw and pretty much any piece of wood that is four inches or longer goes in the bucket. (And yes, the bucket overflows and then the wood piles up around it.)

Last week I played with the scraps and made some scrappy shapes.
scrapwood, salvaged heart, reclaimed wood, jigsaw, rustic decor, bear, http://bec4-beyondthepicketfence.blogspot.com/2016/01/scrappy-shapes.html

These are nothing new to wood workers or the internet, but I did have fun making them.
reclaimed wood, salvaged, rustic decor, wood shapes, wood bear, heart sign, wood spools, jigsaw, http://bec4-beyondthepicketfence.blogspot.com/2016/01/scrappy-shapes.html
I tried a few different ways to create these shapes.  The first was the wood bear.
salvaged wood, scrap wood, rustic decor, bear sign, wood signs, jigsaw, wood glue, http://bec4-beyondthepicketfence.blogspot.com/2016/01/scrappy-shapes.html
I sketched a bear on newspaper and cut it out.  I laid out the scrap wood pieces, upside down.  I then drew around my bear pattern with white chalk.  I joined the wood scraps together with thin wood pieces.  I then used the handheld jigsaw to cut it out. When using a jigsaw, know where your fingers are at all times, where the cord is, and wear protective goggles.

This method is quicker because you do not have to wait for glue to dry.  However, it didn't feel as secure and I missed joining a few small pieces so I had to join them afterwards.
joining wood, scrap wood, bear, rustic, jigsaw, http://bec4-beyondthepicketfence.blogspot.com/2016/01/scrappy-shapes.html
For the other bear, the S, and the heart,
marquee letter, scrap wood, letter S, salvaged wood, rustic decor, vintage style, http://bec4-beyondthepicketfence.blogspot.com/2016/01/scrappy-shapes.html
I glued the scraps to a thin piece of plywood and then cut the shape out with the jigsaw. 
Because I sell these and I don't trust glue, I secured some of the pieces with screws.  I could use the nail gun too, but I didn't have short enough nails.
scrap wood, heart sign, valentines day, jigsaw, screws, DIY, http://bec4-beyondthepicketfence.blogspot.com/2016/01/scrappy-shapes.html
I also made an old wood spool coat hook.  I haven't made these for years, but they are perfect for coats, purses, jewelry, scarves, leashes.  
scrap wood, reclaimed wood, wood spools, coat hook, marquee letter, wood signs, DIY, jigsaw, sander,http://bec4-beyondthepicketfence.blogspot.com/2016/01/scrappy-shapes.html
I glued the spools to the scrap wood piece and then secured them with screws screwed in through the back of the board.
reclaimed wood, scrap wood, marquee letter, vintage style, rustic decor, jigsaw, DIY, bear sign, heart sign, http://bec4-beyondthepicketfence.blogspot.com/2016/01/scrappy-shapes.html
And to think my husband wanted to burn these pieces!

11 comments:

  1. Love your projects! Very creative use of leftovers!

    Judy

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  2. These are beautiful! My husband has a bin for scraps as well! Often this is our go-to place to find the right piece we're looking for.

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    1. Thank you. I have to be quick to save scraps from my burn happy hubby!

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  3. These are really beautiful. I love things made out of leftovers and scraps. So creative.

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  4. Becky, how do you get a uniform thickness on all your pieces? I enjoy your creativity. Thank you

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    1. I use a lot of pallet wood that is the same thickness. But, they are not always the same thickness. A planer helps too!

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  5. Becky, How do you get you pieces at a uniform thickness? Love your projects. Trying to get the nerve to try my hand at it.

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Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, I really appreciate your kind words!