Rough and Rustic Reclaimed Wood Star #1

Dimensions: Each crosspiece is 50 inches long and roughly 1.5 inches square; Weight 17 pounds. This star would look great both indoors and outdoors. I can imagine it up on an exposed brick or stone wall, for example, or on a wooden fence, or on the exterior wall of a barn, garage, shed or house. As explained below, the wood has always been outdoors and it is held together with ceramic-coated gray deck screws, made for outdoor construction, so it will do very well in the elements. The interlocking design gives the piece symmetry and visual interest and makes it stronger than it might have been with a different design. Two D-rings are attached to the back, so all you need is a couple of nails or screws and a big empty wall or fence on which to hang it. $125. Click here to purchase.

The Story

When new trees are planted in D.C.—along a public street, for example—the contract landscapers traditionally pound tall wooden stakes into the ground on opposite sides of the trunk and then connect both stakes to the trunk with nylon strapping or wires and sections of garden hose, to give the young tree stability as it begins to grow in its new location. After one to two years or so, it seems, someone comes by to cut the straps or wires, but they virtually always leave the posts in the ground. The stakes just stand there doing nothing, sticking out of the ground, but slowly rotting below the soil line. Sometimes someone will knock them over or pull them out the ground and lay them on the ground. After witnessing this pattern for many years, it dawned on me that these neglected pieces of wood could be used in upcycling projects—and that removing them would help to clean up various neighborhoods. So, I started collecting them. The longer they stay in place, the grungier they get, so the first thing I do when I get them home is cut off any portion that was in the ground. Then I clean the four sides with a stiff plastic scrub brush and a 50-50 mix of water and bleach. As the before and after pictures reveal, this really does a nice job of removing the grunge but retaining the original texture and a natural color. (I typically treat pallet-wood planks the same way, if I’m not going to sand them smooth.) To make a star, I use my compound miter saw first to cut five stakes to the same length, then to cut the proper angles on both ends. Then I cut out the segments that will allow the pieces to interlock in an alternating overlap-underlap pattern. Finally, I clamp segments in place, drill holes, and assemble all the pieces with deck screws (typically, 2.5 inches long). The slightly different widths of the stakes, plus the fact that some are slightly warped or twisted, can make assembly a bit tricky, but by working my way through the project slowly and carefully, I’m able to create a pretty consistent and rigid end product.

Related Items: Rough and Rustic Reclaimed Wood Star #2, Rough and Rustic Square in Square.