Scrap wood projects

After our move last year (when we downsized our living space in half), we acquired a storage unit to dump our “flow over” stuff in. It was kind of cheating but I needed it to keep me sane. Throughout the year we revisit it and reassess what we really need to keep. It’s been an amazing space for holiday decorations and my staging items for work, but it also acts as a hiding place for things we just couldn’t part with. One of those things for my husband was his collection of scrap wood. Those who know him, know how much he loves coming up with scrap wood projects. Some of those projects have turned into treasured pieces of furniture and even pieces of art!

Our last visit to the storage space prompted him to pull out the wood and get creative with some new projects!

Quick Side Note about moths

On a side note, in the last couple of months, I have become fascinated by moths. It’s not so much about the physical animal, but the moth image and symbolism. Moths are misunderstood. They appear in scary movies and are often used to symbolize darkness and even death. I like to think they are much more positive, and like a butterfly, symbolize rebirth, change, transformation, and the power of regeneration.

Unlike butterflies, they are nocturnal, but with that comes their never-ending search for light. That search for light shows determination and a desire to keep going no matter what. This new interest in moths leads to the next scrap wood project… a 3D wood moth to hang right in the middle of the kitchen!

Step one- the inspiration

I’m not sure my husband was sold on the moth idea, so I needed to convince him by creating a template. One of the breweries we visited during the hiking series was Midnight Mulligan Brewing. Guess what their trademark is? That’s right… a moth! I used their trademark for inspiration and printed out a huge moth on several pieces of 11×18 paper. Once the design was finished, my husband made the rest look easy. I cut out pieces to create what would be the 3D parts of the wings and body, while he created the base.

Step two- The Creation

The base body outline was traced onto 3/4-inch laminated wood. That shape was then cut out with a jigsaw. I wanted all the parts to be stained in different shades of brown versus painting anything. That way the wood grain would still show through. Each of the individual cut out pieces creating the pattern in the wings and body were traced onto 3/8-inch craft wood. Those were cut out with the jigsaw as well. In the end you had the base and a bunch of little wood pieces cut out to layer on top.

Quick tip on cutting technique

Instead of cutting through the entire piece of wood, drill a hole just outside your pattern. That allows for the jigsaw to start cutting right on the pattern (see pictures).

Step 3- Final Touches

Once all the pieces are cut out, it’s time to stain. I suggest coloring in a copy of your printed picture until you are happy with how the colors are spaced. We had 4 different stains that were left over from other projects, so we chose to use those. Then it’s time to stain, which might be the easiest step.

Step 4- Assembling the Moth

After all the stain dries (which happens very quickly) it’s time to assemble! Lay out all your pieces in their place on the base moth outline. Use the printed picture for guidance. Then it’s time to figure out what to do about the antennas. They were too thin and bent to try to cut out of wood so we opted for scrap silver hooks (you could even use a wire hanger) and some crimp sleeves that my husband had laying around. It’s crazy what you can find in his toolboxes. They turned out perfect!

Finally, it was time to glue all the pieces down. Using gorilla glue (very sparingly) you glue each piece and place it back in its spot. You have a couple of seconds to slightly adjust it before the bonding really sets in. Just be careful… when the glue dries it has a glossy sheen, so you don’t want to see it bleeding out from the wood pieces.

Step 5- Find a home for your scrap wood project

Let it bond over night so that all the little pieces are secure, and then it’s ready to hang! I chose to hang it in the kitchen to remind me every morning to be as determined as a moth searching for light. Don’t be afraid of change, but instead adapt to all the things that may come your way.

In addition to my moth, my husband created another “scrap wood” work of art inspired by our trip to Montana. It follows the same idea of smaller stained pieces of wood creating a larger picture. Possibilities are endless and I would love to see if any of you give it a try!