Driftwood Furniture: Practical Projects for Your Home and Garden

Debbie Feisst is the reference/Internet resources librarian in the
Information Services Division of the Edmonton Public Library.

With the abundance of books devoted to making willow furniture on the
market these days, it’s nice to see something a little different.
Derek Douglas, a retired Ontario businessman and competitive driftwood
furniture builder, offers up unique and practical projects to make with
this free building supply.

Douglas, who lives on the shore of Lake Huron, has been making
driftwood furniture for the past five years. Since no two pieces of
driftwood are the same, your projects are guaranteed to be
one-of-a-kind. Driftwood is already waterproof, requires no additional
finishes, is generally easy to work with, and is naturally bug-free. It
is also durable, fun to collect, and can add a rustic/artistic flair to
your yard or garden.

The book is divided into six chapters, which explain the virtues of
driftwood as a building material, how and where to find it, necessary
tools and materials, general carpentry techniques, tips on working with
driftwood, and the projects. There are 19 projects in total, and they
include how to make a garden bench, an arbour, a hanging flowerbox, a
patio table, and the ever-popular Adirondack chair. Each project is
clearly illustrated with line drawings or black-and-white photographs.
Sixteen full-colour photographs show many of the projects in use. A list
of tools and materials needed for each project precedes the directions,
which are very easy to follow. Basic carpentry skills are required, but
there are projects both for beginners and for the more-experienced
builders.