Scrap Wood Projects

If you have a scrap wood problem, don’t worry—you’re not alone. Like all seasoned woodworkers, we have buckets of old wood scraps that collect dust & take up valuable space in our workshop. While it’s tempting to just throw them out, our desire to be eco-friendly and minimize waste tends to get in the way. Also, working with scrap wood is very economical. After all, you’re just using wood pieces that you’ve already purchased. And with skyrocketing lumber costs, it’s painful to think that all these old pieces of wood should just go to waste. Thus, we decided to share some ideas on how to repurpose old wood scraps to provide you with some inspiration.

Decorative Scrap Wood Projects

End Grain Wood Signs

Of all the scrap wood that we generate, the ends pieces from 2x4s & 2x6s make up the largest share. To solve for this, we cut the end pieces into 1″ thick slices and glue them to a sheet of scrap plywood to make a sign. If you don’t have a need for a sign, you always have the option to make a mosaic with wood scraps.

Vintage Inspired Lobster Buoys

Make every season lobster season with vintage inspired lobster buoys. To get started, all you need are some scrap 4x4s that are at least 6″ long and some leftover paint. If you’re talented painter, feel free to showcase your skills with intricate designs & colorful details. Or, if you’re artistically challenged like us, you can always opt for classic horizontal stripes with the help of some painters tape.

Wood Storage Boxes & Crates

Upgrade your garage’s storage offerings with small wooden crates constructed from leftover sheets of plywood and/or common board scraps. These can be used for storing everything in your shop from hardware to tools. Or you can leverage them in other parts of the house to enhance your organization efforts elsewhere.

Painted Plywood Sign

When our drum sander arrived in a pallet crate, we were disappointed to see that the pallet crate was too damaged to be reused. Thus, we decided to separate the good pieces from damaged parts, and repurpose the good pieces for other uses. In the case of one of the side panels, we created the above sign for our sister company, Anson’s Furniture & Salvage.

Functional Scrap Wood Projects

Garage Rolling Stool

Reduce the amount of time you spend on your hands & knees with a wooden rolling stool for your garage. Built with scrap plywood & 1x2s, we use our rolling stool when working on projects that require us to crouch. If you think you’ll use this for extended periods of time, we recommend adding a cushion of sorts to prolong your comfort.

Small Birdhouses

Help your neighborhood birds find refuge from the elements by creating welcoming birdhouses. Crafted from 1-inch thick wood scraps, these little birdhouses contribute to natural habitats while functioning as garden décor. When creating yours, you can opt for a traditional construction like ours or choose a more modern design if you so desire.

Paint Stir Sticks & Holder

Leftover pieces of trim & unused dowel rods make for terrific paint stir sticks. Just clean up the ends and smoothen the edges before using them. If you have any 1″ thick scraps, we recommend you make a stir stick holder for storing them.

Wooden Pencil Holder

Between your home office & your workshop, you probably need a storage solution for your pens & pencils. We recommend addressing this by creating a DIY pencil holder from scrap wood. Given how few requirements come with this project, you can get creative on with shape, color, & even materials.