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.

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.

These are nothing new to wood workers or the internet, but I did have fun making them.

I tried a few different ways to create these shapes.  The first was the wood bear.

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.

For the other bear, the S, and the heart,

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.

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.  

I glued the spools to the scrap wood piece and then secured them with screws screwed in through the back of the board.

And to think my husband wanted to burn these pieces!