No project is too small and none too big
Our projects have to date been driven by solutions to problems or needs. If we need a table or storage we look at what we’ve got and think how we can fill that need. I have made tables, countertops, spice racks, to name a few. No project is too big or too small.
When I started out doing this it wasn’t because I had some lofty environmentalist idea about how to make a table, itt was more driven by the lack of funds. I needed something and couldn’t just go out to buy it so what to do? In Iceland we have a saying that translates somewhat into: The need teaches a naked woman how to spin. That is if the need is great enough you teach yourself how to fix it. So I did. Of course with the ever helpful hand of my darling husband.
Green thinking came later
Then came the satisfaction from making something for myself using my hands and I also found joy from having used materials already in our possession to do it. I liked the idea of keeping the environmental impact of the project as small as possible and that stuck.
Reuse, Recycle, & Repurpose
When planning our projects we start off implementing the three Rs. Reuse, Recycle, and Repurpose. We look at what we have to work with and if we don’t have it, we then try hunting for scrap wood or used material to work with. My husband keeps an eye out at the building sites and I go social media hunting. Most of all we keep our project fluid. If you are keeping within those three Rs your project will have to move with the material available. It won’t be exactly as you planned but it could be better. Just lean into it and have fun.
That being said, I am not above buying to complete a project. Solutions for small spaces tor example are often tricky and cannot be deviated from. Then we reuse as much material as we can and supplement with new. I love the challenge of small spaces. Small nooks and crannies can be a goldmine if properly cared for. I have easily doubled my kitchen countertop and added storage, just using a reclaimed bathroom cabinet and bathroom tiles I got for free. But things like mortar and tile glue I bought. Like I said be fluid and move with your project.
Here are a few pics of some of my past little projects. Almost all are made using scrap wood and reusing or repurposing objects. For example the handles for the wood tray, that are made using my great grandmothers silver forks. We were never going to use them and now we have them everyday.
Another example of an easy fix to a problem and repurposing an object is the jar turned glass. One very warm summer, my hubby could be found working in the garden all the time. He would typically have his Malibu and pineapple juice around (yes, hes not a beer kind of a guy, don't judge). Problem is the little flying critters also like to get their groove on. We have other ones. Like mason jars with lids but he complained they where too small and he didn't like to be in and out all the time getting a cold drink. Enter the one liter clip lid jar and a loving wife with a glass drill bit she was dying to try out. Ta da. Problem solved.
More later.
