8 Ways to Upcycle Your Collection of Driftwood

Achieve total beach house vibe by cutting 10 pieces of driftwood in half and assembling the pieces — flat end down — to form a set of coordinated bookends. Hot glue will be strong enough to hold these light pieces of wood together, but when grouped, they're heavy enough to hold your reads upright.

Laura Seymour, maker of macrame art at Hitch + Cord, builds her masterpieces upon collected pieces of beach driftwood. Have a special piece that you want to feature in your home? Learn how to craft your own woven decor (or mail it to Laura; I’m certain that she’d be honored to create a custom piece that pays homage to your special finds).

Did you find a big piece of driftwood on the shore? It might be the perfect piece for a homemade clock. Purchase a clock hardware kit with a thread long enough to extend through the driftwood and assemble a one-of-a-kind timepiece in minutes. Bonus points if you collected enough beach glass on your trip to assemble the clock numerals!

A collection of branches big and small can be mounted to a large frame. Opt for a strong adhesive to bond the branches to one another (make sure it’s a weather-proof adhesive if the frame will be installed outdoors), but rely on hot glue to pin it in position while the stronger adhesive cures.