Copy the Look: Bamboo Skewer Furniture
High-end design for half the cost.
Looking for trendy, modern furniture without the expensive price tag? Well, you’re in luck. Using a few simple materials that can be picked up at your local craft store, you can replicate your favorite designs in no time. Here’s how to do it:
Materials
- bamboo skewers
- wood glue
- garden shears
- sand block
- acrylic paint
- water
- cardstock
Johnson Giles of Loch & Key Productions
Card Stock Design
Johnson Giles of Loch & Key Productions
Trace an octagon, or whatever shape you like, on card stock and carefully cut each shape out. Set aside when you’re done.
Cut Down to Size
Johnson Giles of Loch & Key Productions
Using garden shears, cut your bamboo skewers in half. Set aside when you’re done.
Glue Skewers
Johnson Giles of Loch & Key Productions
Return to the octagon shapes you cut out and apply a few lines of wood glue. Use one of the skewers to spread the glue and then start laying the skewers down on the shape starting in the middle. The ends of the skewers should hang off the edge of the cardstock and that’s fine. Once the octagon is full of bamboo, allow it to dry for 24 hours.
Trim + Sand
Johnson Giles of Loch & Key Productions
Once dry, use garden shears to trim the excess bamboo but make sure to leave about 1/4” of bamboo still hanging over the edge of the cardstock. After the trimming is done, use a sand block to smooth the edges.
Johnson Giles of Loch & Key Productions
Paint
Johnson Giles of Loch & Key Productions
Pick out your favorite colors of acrylic paint and squeeze a moderate amount into a plastic cup. Add water and mix with a paintbrush. Once the paint is watered down to an acceptable shade, begin painting the bamboo octagons.
Johnson Giles of Loch & Key Productions
Apply Octagons
Johnson Giles of Loch & Key Productions
Johnson Giles of Loch & Key Productions
Johnson Giles of Loch & Key Productions
Johnson Giles of Loch & Key Productions
Remove the drawer from the side table and apply a generous amount of wood glue to the non-painted side of the bamboo octagon. Arrange the shapes on the front of the drawer in a way that is most pleasing to you. Don’t worry if the bamboo octagons hang over the edge of the drawer. Once you position all of the shapes, use garden shears to trim the excess. Allow some time for the project to dry and then return the drawer to the table.
Johnson Giles of Loch & Key Productions
