Craft wood can be used to create various creative craft-related works. It can be found abundantly in several forms at any craft store. Perhaps the easiest and most versatile to implement are wooden sticks. These are available in all sorts of sizes and shapes and are made of unprocessed wood, which can be subsequently processed and designed imaginatively. Instead of buying wooden chopsticks, we suggest not throwing away a pair of Chinese chopsticks from the next sushi evening, but collecting them. In the article we have summarized some creative craft ideas that are sure to pique your interest.
First you can use the chopsticksfor disposable useuse multiple times. To do this, you should edit the wooden sticks a little and perhaps design them differently. For this purpose you have to sand the wood, then varnish it and design it in a different color if desired. If you want to use the chopsticks for eating again, we recommend only using food-safe dyes and varnishes. Press varnish and vat varnish, which are approved for food containers, are commercially available.
If you can't find special paint or varnish that is approved for food, but still want to spice up the wooden sticks you've collected, then you can easily dye just the area that doesn't come into contact with the food. Nothing else is needed except paint and painter's tape. Use the last to mark off the slightly thicker end, which is usually in the opposite direction from the food.
You can apply the desired color with a brush. Another option, after you have determined an area using painter's tape, would be to simply dip the stick into the paint. Allow to drain 'overhead' and dry in this position. The wooden sticks decorated in this way can be used for all kinds of crafts. Many ideas can be found below.
Wooden sticks left over from your last visit to the sushi restaurant can be used in many ways, except for eating, of course. If you've already collected a lot of them, it's time to experiment with them and make something beautiful out of them. Of course, all you need are plenty of chopsticks and hot glue.
The first pretty craft idea we offer you is to create an artistic jewelry stand yourself out of wooden sticks. Simply take as many chopsticks as you want and try to tie them together stably. At the points where the sticks cross, secure them with hot glue.
Although using a hot glue gun is relatively easy, the saying goes: practice makes perfect. Be precise when applying the glue, as if you put a bit more pressure on the trigger you will end up with a blob that doesn't look nice at all.
If you don't know how to start tying and arranging the sticks, we recommend taking three sticks and connecting them into a triangle, like a tent. After you have finished this stable construction, you can build your jewelry stand on it.
Wooden sticks can not only be used practically, but also decoratively. Decorate a round mirror with it and create a modern sun mirror. All you need is a round mirror, lots of chopsticks, round frame or wreath blank and hot glue. Just be aware that the hot glue can fuse the plastic.
On the lower side of the round frame or wreath blank, mark 7-8 points with the same distance between them. This is where the longest rays of sunlight should be. You can make these by simply expanding some chopsticks. Fix them in the specific places, while also leaving a possibility that the mirror can be incorporated later. Start arranging the remaining chopsticks in the space so that the small ones run smoothly towards the larger ones. Eventually there should be some sunshine. Finally, color in bright gold.
Wooden sticks also have a practical use as a surface where you can place hot objects. A trivet is always useful in the kitchen when you have to let hot pots cool down while cooking. Take your largest cooking pot and measure it. Its dimensions should be used as a starting point for your further crafts. Take enough chopsticks to cover the desired area and position them nicely next to each other. The sticks don't have to be very close to each other. Leave 3-5 millimeters of space between them. Separately, make a stable substructure out of chopsticks. To do this, take two sticks and place them parallel at least 20 centimeters apart. To ensure more stability, you can place a stick diagonally between them to create an N-shape. Now attach the sticks to the other flat sticks with hot glue.
If you look closely, Chinese chopsticks are very, very similar to knitting needles. And if you want to start a new hobby, you canStrickenbe, whereby you can save yourself the purchase of knitting needles. Convert the chopsticks into knitting needles.
All you have to do is cut off the top few centimeters towards the food. First try with a sharpener, then smooth it a bit with sandpaper so that the wood doesn't splinter. You can attach a ball of polymer clay or other type of modeling clay to the other end of the wooden stick or knitting needle so that the stitches do not slip off the needle.
