Reduce, Reuse, Restore:

Wood Scraps to Beautiful Trim

When you’re a DIYer, odds are you have scrap wood lying around somewhere. Sure, those scraps come in handy for some projects, but you’d never use them as trim in your home. Or would you?   Time to restore those beat-up wood scraps and give them a new purpose, using some powerful tools and adhesives! This DIY will turn old wood into beautiful, historical looking trim in no time.

HOW TO RESTORE OLD WOOD SCRAPS

Time to go visit the wood scrap collection in your garage! Our friend Maggie (@wilfredhouse) was able to take old wood she had lying around and transform it into historical looking trim in her kitchen. Not only did it blend seamlessly into her existing trim, but you’d never be able to tell it was scrap!

For a written breakdown explaining how Maggie pulled off this project, take a look at the steps below! 

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

Directions

1. GATHER YOUR SCRAP PIECES

The first step is to collect some scrap wood pieces you have on hand. This could consist of lumber, decorative trim, small pieces…you name it! As long as it’s the adequate size for your project, it should work just fine.

2. REPAIR ANY DAMAGES

Scrap is…well, scrap. But Maggie was able to repair any damage easily with Loctite® Power Grab Ultimate Crystal Clear Construction Adhesive. Just add a few dots of glue and press wood chips back into place to bond them, no nailing or clamping needed.

3. MAKE ANY CUTS

In our next step we’ll be securing these pieces together, so now is the time to make any cuts. Be sure to measure where your trim is going and mark your cuts accordingly.

4. ASSEMBLE SCRAPS TOGETHER

Time to get creative! Maggie used several scraps of wood to create depth and detail for her trim. She secured them together using Loctite® Power Grab Ultimate Crystal Clear Construction Adhesive. One of the perks of using this adhesive is that is grabs instantly, with minimal dry time.

5. USE WOOD FILLER

For any nicks or gouges in your wood trim pieces, use wood filler to correct these mistakes. This will create a seamless and renewed design.

6. FINISH OFF WITH PAINT

Once your wood filler is set, now you can finish off your gorgeous trim with a coat of paint. This may take a few coats depending on how worn or dark the wood is. Maggie chose a beautiful white color to make her trim look cohesive and so that the details were visible. 

7. READY TO INSTALL 

Time for the best part: installation! Once your new wood trim is fully dry, you can install it. For maximum hold, we recommend Loctite® Power Grab Ultimate Crystal Clear Construction Adhesive.

We hope this project was able to inspire you to think outside of the box and reuse any materials you have on hand!

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