Driftwood DIY

Saving for a house never keeps me from getting something I want to buy.  I just have to figure out a way to do it myself.

Exhibit A: Cute driftwood pieces that I saw while trolling Etsy.  I particularly liked the idea of doing hooks for our back door, since we're in a little rental house without a good place to drop dog leashes, purses, jackets or anything really.  So I saw this little gem:

This one is listed at $40.00 on Etsy.

Since we live about a block away from the river, I now have easy access to a driftwood supply.  I actually found the piece that I used for my own hanger at the lake one day.  My version is below:

Not too rustic, since I used new hooks from Lowe's, but that's totally my style:  Modern Updated Classic, with a touch of the Old / Found / Picked.  Total cost for this project:

3 Hooks: $6.84

Hanging Hardware: about $3.00

Driftwood:  Free

Total: about 10 bucks.

Exhibit B:



A lovely driftwood jewelry hanger to display my necklaces.  This one is listed on Etsy at $25.00

Mine is pictured below:

And a closer shot to show the hooks:

I used picture hangers screwed into the back of the piece to hold it on the wall, giving it a floating apprearance.  I didn't want to be able to see the hanging hardware when you're looking at it, so that the focus is on the jewelry.  The hooks are cup hooks, which have the little screw end, so you just tap them in a little with a hammer and screw the rest of the way in.

The overall length of the piece is right at 18", so I allowed for 1" of space between the cup hooks. That gave me a few inches of space on either end for visual balance.  I ended up with 13 hooks total.

Total cost for this project:

16 Hangers (they come in packs of 4): $3.92

Mounting hangers for the back: $1.94

$5.86

Of course, lots of people are selling driftwood as accent pieces for display.  The smaller piece I'm just using as a decorative item.

 

See what to do with a long piece here.

For now, this piece is going to just hang out under our little console desk at the rental house, until we find a real home to display it in - either over a doorway or on the fireplace mantel.

So what's the next driftwood project?

Although I've seen a lot of them, driftwood mirrors just aren't my style, as much as I love Pottery Barn.  (Maybe that's why it's on clearance . . . )

I need to find a huge chunk to turn into a table base.  I've even got the glass ready for it.  I had a piece that was a desktop I've since gotten rid of.  But the top was 3/8" thick glass, with polished edges, so I couldn't let go of it.  The cost of the glass alone would have been around $100, so it was worth holding on to.

See my inspiration for the driftwood coffee table here.

So go out and get yourself some *free* home decor.  And even if you don't find any good pieces to use, a walk in the sunshine along the shore is never time wasted.

Happy driftwood hunting!