Scrapwood Creatures
Introduction: Scrapwood Creatures
My wife always tells me I keep too much stuff that we don't need. Cardboard boxes, paper, left-over pieces of wood. In my mind there is always some creative future purpose for these items and I can't bring myself to throw them away.
Although this instructable shows you how to make one of the Scrapwood Creatures that currently decorate our garden, it is meant to be read more like an 'inspirable' than an instructable. Since everyone has other 'trash' lying around I will not give specific measurements for the build. I will show you ways to transform random bits of scrapwood into fun and durable garden decoration.
Supplies
The supplies you need will depend on the items you choose to work with. To make the Scrapwood Creature in this example see if you can find the following:
- a left-over piece of a 2x2 beam, preferably cut at a slight angle
- a random wooden plank cut-off about the same width as the 2x2 beam
- a couple of sturdy sticks or wooden skewers
- a popsicle stick
- a wooden dowel
- 2 big screws, about twice as long as the thickness of the plank cut-off
- 2 small screws
The tools you need:
- drill with drill bits (small to large)
- screw drill bits or screwdriver(s)
- I used a hex key / Allen key to screw in the IKEA screws I chose for the eyes
- box cutter or other craft knife
- sand paper
Optional:
- wood glue
- extra piece of wood or cutting board to protect your workspace
Step 1: Preparation
For the creature in this example it works really well to have a bitof wood cut off at an angle. If you only have straight pieces you can cut a longer piece in half at an angle so you can make 2 of these animals.
Scrapwood and cut-offs are likely to have rough edges and maybe even have old nails or screws in them. Choose your materials and remove any old hardware to avoid damage to your drill bits. Get some sandpaper and smooth the edges.
In our case the Scrapwood Creatures occupy the front garden and draw the attention of the neighbourhood's kids so I try to make the creatures as child-safe as possible.
Step 2: Holes for the Legs and Tail
Put the 2x2 cut-off down with the longer side facing up. Get a drill bit the same diameter as the sticks you will be using for the legs. Drill four holes about 1/2 inch deep, depending on the size and shape of your material.
Sand the holes' edges and test get one of the sticks to make sure they fit snugly in the holes.
Place the 2x2 cut-off on the angled side to have the square end facing up. Get a drill bit that matches the size of the dowel and drill a hole in the center. If you drill straight down the tail will be at a downward angle. 431
Try to fit the dowel to make sure it fits.
Step 3: Creating the Mouth
Get the bit of plank cut-off and put it upright on your workspace. Check both sides and see what side looks better and use this as the top. Use the bottom for the mouth.
To make the mouth I used a thin drill bit roughly the thickness of the popsicle stick I had. I drilled the first hole a little off to the side. Then I measured the width of the stick and drilled the second hole to mark the size (see picture). I then drilled some more holes in between and drilled at an angle to create a slot wide enough for the popsicle stick to fit in. Try fitting in the popsicle stick and drill deeper if necessary.
Depending on the depth of the slot, cut off a piece of the popsicle stick to use as a tongue coming out of the mouth. The popsicle stick I used just happened to be stained from a fruity icecream which was perfect for a tongue.
Step 4: Adding Ears And/or Horns
I chose to add some extra bits to the top of the head using two smaller thick screws. You can put these either on the top or the sides of the head, whichever you like best. Get a drill bit that matches the screws you will be using and drill two holes where you want the ears or horns to go.
Depending on the screws you use, drill down so the screws will not split the wood. When screwing in the screws, make sure they are fixed in place, but aren't screwed all the way in. Leaving them sticking out gives your creature a bit more character ;)
Tip: use screws that you wouldn't normally use for other projects. I have a ton of extra IKEA hardware that is perfect for this. 276