While there is plenty of fun to be had with the construction paper, pipe cleaners, and clay, there comes a time when many of us want to move on to “big kid crafts”. And what would be more “big kid” than working with wood?
We don’t mean woodworking—we mean working with wood. More specifically, we mean using wood to make beautiful pieces that you can hang around your home. Here is a list of our favorite wood craft ideas.
Wood and Seashell Windchimes
Anyone who has had the pleasure of experiencing the pleasant sound of windchimes knows how far they can go in creating a welcoming ambience within your living spaces. You can make your own unique windchimes by using a textured wooden stick. This particular tutorial showed you how you can use found seashells to create a windchime with a unique sound.
Herb Garden
Growing your own herbs is not only fun, but it can also help you save money on buying fresh herbs at the grocery store, which can get rather expensive. You can make a lovely holder for your herbs with wood. It’s easier to do than you would think, as you can see here with this tutorial from Make It Love It.
Wooden Keychain
Wood actually makes a lovely keychain material because it is lightweight and highly customizable. If you can cut paper, you can use a wood cutter to make a keychain of your desired type. The possibility for shapes and figures are endless, but we love the way that this tutorial from Cherished Bliss shows you how to make adorable wooden hearts.
State Wood Cutout
It’s time to show the state that you’re from some love. Or, if you are not the type to feel proud of your own hometown, why not show some pride for your favourite vacation destination or for a state that you spent time in that means something to you? no matter which state you choose (or province, or territory—it doesn’t have to be in the US), you can follow this easy tutorial from A Girl and A Glue Gun to make a state-shaped craft out of wood.
Wooden Tea Light Holder
One of the easiest ways to make our homes feel homier is by adding mood lighting. While lamps can certainly bring us ample mood lighting, there is something to be said about incorporating candles into our room decor. They don’t even need to be scented candles— in fact, we love to use unscented tea lights to add coziness to any given space. You can make a beautiful tea light holder from wood if you follow this tutorial from the Crafty Gentleman.
Calendar Blocks
What day is it, anyway? Who really even knows anymore. Well, we can tell you one person that knows—the person who has a wooden block calendar on their desk. If you would like to be reunited with the date of the day, you can use this tutorial from Practical and Pretty to make your very own reusable desk calendar out of wooden blocks.
Decorative Boat
Calling lovers of all things nautical— this one’s for you. Allow the artists at Folksy.com to show you how you can make a beautiful decorative hanging using only sticks, fabric, and of course, hot glue. While this is a great choice for the beach house, we think that it looks great in a regular house as well because it allows you to have a touch of the beach right in your bathroom or kitchen.
Driftwood Clock
Are you the type to walk along the beach, collecting driftwood? If you are, you have probably had friends and family members and even onlookers make remarks to you about what you possibly could do with this driftwood. Thanks to the tutorial from Sustain My Craft Habit, you now have a firm answer to provide them with. You’re making an awesome clock!
Wooden Toy Robot
Kids love to play with toy blocks that are made of wood, so who’s to say that they wouldn’t enjoy playing with a wooden robot? Even if this wooden robot, as seen at Adventures in a Box, does not become a favourite play toy, it makes for a wonderful decoration on a shelf. And it’s fun to make too!
Spinning Cardinal
If you have an outdoor Garden, then spring time is the best time to start decorating it. If you want to add a personalized decoration to your backyard, this spinning cardinal is a great way to flex your wooden craft skills and at the same time create a lovely bird friend to keep you company in your outdoor space. Get the low-down from Workshop Supply.
Wood Arrows
Sometimes in life it is hard to know which way is up and which way is down. If you find resonance with this statement, you probably need arrows of some kind in your house. Okay, maybe we are being a bit facetious, but anyone who has been paying attention to interior decorating trends knows that arrows have become quite popular over recent years. You can make your own to add character to your house by following this tutorial from 100 Things 2 Do.
Coffee and Tea Sign
No matter whether you prefer coffee or tea, this sign is for you. Made completely of wood, it makes the perfect decoration for any coffee or tea bar area. Of course, if you’re more of a sparkling water or wine fan, you can make it so that this sign better reflects that. That’s the beauty of customizable crafts. Get the instructions here.
Round Wooden Table
If you are looking to make an ambitious craft, then you might want to try your hands at a piece of wooden furniture. One great option is this unique do-it-yourself stacked side table from Jen Wood House. Not only is this a chance to flex your creative muscles, but it is also an opportunity to create something functional for your home.
Wooden Tic Toc Toe Game
If you are looking for fun over function, then don’t worry, we have things for you too. This idea for a DIY tic tac toe game is simply genius. It’s small portable size makes it ideal to bring on family road trips.
DIY Spice Rack
If you are always cooking in your kitchen, you are going to want to keep all of your spices handy. Well you could spend hundreds of dollars on fancy spice racks, you can also make your own out of a wooden pallet. Get the details over at Make It Love it.
Wooden Christmas Tree
One of the best occasions for making wooden crafts is the holiday season. It is especially easy to make a wooden Christmas tree out of their materials. This is good news considering the fact that most holiday decorations are pretty expensive if you buy them in the store. Find out how to make holiday magic happen over at DIY Network.
Wooden Plant Hanger
Here is another wooden backyard invention. This tutorial from the Finer Designer shows you how you can make your own wooden hanging planter. Considering that this kind of setup can run you hundreds of dollars at a local plant shop, it certainly pays to try to make your own.
Wooden Catapult
This example is technically a wooden kit, which means that it comes manufactured and ready for your assembly. We thought that an example like this would be a good inclusion on the list if you have a child who is interested in making crafts out of wood, but whom you do not want operating cutting tools that could be potentially dangerous. This example from Belford Toys and Hobbies is a fun and functional catapult that can easily be put together.
Wood crafting provides the perfect opportunity to use recycled materials like driftwood or discarded wood that you no longer have any use for. However, if you visit your local arts and crafts store, it is also possible to find wood that is specifically made for crafting. Whatever you choose to do will depend on your comfort and crafting ability. No matter what kind of wood you use or what you end up making, the most important thing is to have fun!