Welcome to Week 2 of No-Spend Summer! Just catching up? This month, we’re taking on one project a week without spending a dime. Last week was all about styling with what you’ve got, and this week we’re talking about scrap wood projects.
If you do any woodworking projects at all, then you probably have also spent some time wondering what to do with all the scrap. There’s always leftovers after any project I do. I can’t just throw it away, so it ends up cluttering the garage. I always tell myself I’ll do something with it, but it ends up just piling up for months on end until I finally find a use for it.
I’m always looking for scrap wood projects and ideas for myself, so I wanted to put together a little roundup of scrap wood projects to help give you some inspiration. Scrap wood projects make great home decor, organization projects, and even handmade gift ideas. There’s so much you can create with the leftovers from old projects, if you’ll just stretch yourself and get a little creative!
50 scrap wood projects for beginners
Click on any project below to be taken directly to the project with the full tutorial. There’s everything from home decor projects to organization projects to DIY gift ideas.
I know I personally find myself feeling so inspired after browsing a list like this, so be sure to bookmark any of the projects you feel like you might want to try. Goodness knows if you do any projects around your house, you’ll end up with a lot of scrap wood at some point or another!
50 Scrap Wood Projects
A roundup of scrap wood projects perfect for anyone. These scrap wood . projects are great for beginners and more advanced woodworkers alike!
These DIY reclaimed wood shelves can easily be built with scrap wood, and would look great in any room - not just the kitchen! Bonus points if the scrap wood is distressed, like this!
This scrap wood house shelf is SO cute! it would look great in a kids' room or a play room - and if you put a few of them together, they can hold tons of books or even small toys.
We could all use more storage and organization in our cabinets, no? I love this little plate riser - it would add so much function to any cabinet, and make it easier to pull out what you need!
Large exterior plants can get so heavy - I love the idea of putting them on a little plants stand like this! It would make them so much easier to move around when it's necessary to do so. And, it looks cute, too!
it doesn't get much simpler than these cute little wood clipboards! All you need is a wide piece of wood and a clip. They're great for displaying a calendar, kid art, or anything else in your home.
This little wooden welcome mat is so cute, and I can't even tell you how many times I've had enough scrap wood hanging around to build it! You can adjust the size to meet whatever you need for your porch, and it looks so cute layered on top of a fabric welcome mat!
I've made several plant stands with scrap wood, and now that I see this one I kind of want to make one just like it! It's a really cute plant stand that doesn't take up much space, and it hardly uses any wood.
I just recently made this little plant stand for my kids out of nothing but scrap wood! It was a really fun project and the kids are so proud to have a place to display their favorite plants.
I made this pantry door organizer using mostly scrap wood and it's been the best thing for keeping our pantry organized! It has made it so easy to store our foil, parchment paper, and more.
Creating a custom drawer organizer for your silverware is the best way to get it all organized on a budget. I didn't spend a dime on this organizer, and it has added so much function to my kitchen!
Having a super organized spot for pots and pans in the kitchen is HUGE. This pot and pan organizer is made with plywood and is really easy to put together.
These little wooden lanterns can be adjusted to any size, style, or color that works for you. They're a gorgeous item to display at Christmastime, but they look great on your porch year-round!
If you have a thick scrap of wood, drilling a few holes in it to make a DIY propagation station is a really simple project, and you'll love having a really cute place to grow your new plant babies.
Need a fun way to count down to Christmas? This DIY sign can be made with almost any scrap wood you have laying around and, like many other things on this list, it's very versatile!
I made this cute little topper for our dog's kennel to hold some food and help everything stay a little more organized. It was really easy to put together and it really elevated his little corner of our closet!
I used my CNC machine to make these DIY trays, but you don't have to have one to make some really beautiful trays using scrap wood! Click through for some ideas on different styles that can be used all over your house.
These scrap wood Christmas trees were a staple of our Christmas decor for a few years, and they always made me smile. They're so simple to make and can be done with virtually any scrap wood you have on hand.
Need some smaller scrap wood Christmas trees? I made these using some scrap wood and my jigsaw. It was incredibly fun, and I loved the impact they made on our mantel!
Here's another fun seasonal idea - scrap wood pumpkins! These are made with scrap 2x4s and some sticks I grabbed from the backyard. So easy, and so adorable!
All you need for this cute photo display is one scrap wood board and a few metal clips! I gave this to my mom one year for her birthday, and it still makes me smile to see it displayed in her dining room!
This project makes me miss the bathtub in our first home! This beautiful bathtub tray was made with scrap wood, and I used it all the time.
I love this cute scrap wood stepstool - it's so simple and would add so much function to any kids' bathroom, or a pantry or kitchen. II could see my family tucking a few of these in various spots around the house!
If you need a little bit of additional storage space on your desk, this laptop stand is a great way to get it! It raises your laptop to a comfortable height, and adds a little bit of space below the laptop for extra storage.
How cute is this scrap wood accent wall? This beautiful display is made with cuts from some scrap wood, and it would make the most affordable simple accent wall around.
I am obsessed with this DIY lazy Susan! These are so handy to have around, and I absolutely love the look of it.
These little wood hooks are a really simple scrap wood project that would be perfect for your bathroom! I love how they look, and they're so quick to put together.
I've been meaning to make a cookbook stand, and I love this one! It could easily be put together with scrap wood you have laying around, and would be so great to have in the kitchen.
This DIY vertical garden is so, so beautiful. It would look great on the exterior of your house and you can fill it with real OR faux plants!
This wall-mounted letter board is so much fun! It's a great way to fill up a large, empty wall, and if you have the scrap on hand it's incredibly affordable!
Looking for a fun way to display your indoor herb garden? This little stand is a great way to corral all of your pots and would look beautiful on your kitchen counter.
I LOVE this idea! It would make such a fun art display in a play room or game room. You could play around with all sorts of different words or phrases, and it is a really playful and unique art piece.
This hanging plant stand is a really unique and cute idea, and it hardly needs any scrap wood! It would be a beautiful way to fill up an empty corner, and you can play around with different paint or stain to make it any style you want.
A mini planter box is a really fantastic way to use up some scrap wood and get some really adorable home decor in the process!
I LOVE this DIY tic tac toe board. My kids would have a blast with it, and it's a really great way to use up any scrap plywood you might have laying around.
Another great idea for scrap plywood - I absolutely adore this DIY chalkboard used as a menu. It's a great way to keep track of your week, and it would look so beautiful in any kitchen!
Just have a small amount of scrap wood? These little coasters are adorable, and they'd be a great way to get your feet wet with scrap wood projects before trying something bigger.
I made these scrap wood houses for a mantel display last Christmas, but they'd be adorable to have displayed in your home year-round. These can be made with almost any scrap that you have laying around, and you can make any design you'd like!
If you have a few boards of scrap 2x4s, why not make a giant game of backyard Jenga? We had the best time playing with this set over and over a few summers ago, and they were so easy to make - just cut to size, sand, and stain!
You can get your spice drawer fully organized with just a few thin pieces of scrap plywood. It's been about 6 months since I made this spice drawer organizer and it's still one of my very favorite things I've done. It is so functional and helpful to have!
All you need is a small piece of scrap wood to make this cute little table for your sofa arm. Perfect for a side of the sofa where you don't have a table - we used this all the time in our last house for setting drinks on the arm of the sofa!
I whipped up this little outdoor sofa table to give us a place to set drinks and display plants, and it's been one of my favorite additions to the patio. It's sleek and takes up very little room, but it looks so great!
I LOVE the look of a magnetic knife rack in a kitchen. It's such a beautiful way to display knives, and it's a really fantastic scrap wood project.
All you need for this DIY ruler-style growth chart is a 6' piece of wood. So, if you have an extra board from a project, this would be a great way to use it!
If you have a large plant that needs a trellis, this indoor trellis is a great option! It has added so much to our living room and is a great support for our Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma.
Speaking of ladders - blanket ladders are a really great scrap wood project. And, they can be used for SO MUCH MORE than blankets! Read this post for some ideas.
This is the first scrap wood project I never took on. I was so proud of myself, and I still love it so much! This is a great way to display plants, and it's so easy to put together.
I love these scrap wood planters! These would look so beautiful flanking a front door or on a back porch, and they're so versatile. Stain them, paint them, adjust the size - whatever works for you!
This geometric wood art is a great scrap wood project, and it's so easy to make. In fact, this is the first woodworking project I ever did!
This is a really cute addition to any backyard - a kids' picnic table! This was the first furniture project I ever completed all on my own, and it would be a really great project if you have a lot of scrap 2x4s laying around.
You'll have to buy some neon lights, but this little DIY neon sign is so much fun! You just need a scrap piece of wood big enough to be the background of your sign, and that's it!
If you want to see my scrap wood project for the challenge, be sure to check back later this week to see what I make! And, if you decide you want to join in on No-Spend Summer, I’d love to have you! There’s no official rules – just jump in and make something with me. If you do join in, I’d love to see your projects!
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