Two-by-Four Crafts

Its not unusual to have a two-by-four left over from a project youve done around your house - whether it be a whole 2x4 or a piece of one. For many people, that chunk of wood just gets moved around, as it gets in the way, but nothing is ever done with it. Thats too bad because there are so many cute things you can do with a single 2x4. If youve got one why not turn it into a cute home accent or a nice gift for a friend.A whole two-by-four can be nailed to a wall and used in many different ways. Paint the board, or even cover it with fabric and nail it to the wall. After that, use peel-n-stick hangers, nails, screws, Velcro, ribbon, or something similar, to hang jewelry, scarves, purses, photos, and more.When you cover a piece of a 2x4 with fabric - or paint it - you can make a lovely gift for a child, a woman, or a guy. After painting, or gluing the fabric on, stand the board on one side, and drill holes in the top. Space the holes evenly apart; they can vary in size depending on what you want to make. Make small holes, stick suckers in them, and use a garden-design fabric. That will make a nice birthday "garden" for a little girl, or a centerpiece for a wedding. Align golf, basketball, or baseball-theme suckers, and the gift is suitable for a guy. Just change the fabric to something with a sports design. Other things you can insert in the holes are small signs, wires curled to hold photos, stick incense, or even pegs. With the peg version, attach wall hangers to the back and the person can hang anything from a jacket to a purse.Paint the blocks - or cover them, then make a letter on each one. Glue on a flat, wooden letter, to each block, or just draw a letter with a paint marker. Spell out the name of your family, a single word like "Peace", or even a holiday sentiment. The side-by-side blocks will look even more prominent if you stand them on a length of 2x4.Cut a two-by-four into different sizes and you can make a unique and eye-catching pyramid-type accent. Stack the blocks, from large to small, and write a word - or more than one - across the front of each block. Or, cut short pieces of the wood, stack several of them to diminish as they go up, and stand a candle, picture frame, or other accent on it.Go rustle around in the basement, garage, or shed, and find that old two-by-four. It doesnt have to be in perfect condition for you to make a cool new project that you - or someone you know - is going to love.