About four years ago i had just arrived to Sweden and was looking for a path forward; a path in which i could enjoy my working day. I started by upcycling junk that i found at local dump sites, and by collecting building site scrap materials. I documented my works on a blog called MakeMendMakeDo these days i tend to post directly to the Facebook Page
I have always loved working with materials in the workshop, especially used and found materials – i often aim to make as little disturbance to the materials that i find and use; instead approaching the materials and objects i have by making a concerted effort to put them together with as minimal cuts and modifications as possible, in this way i tend to spend a lot of time staring at the objects i have, and seeing how they might come together to form a new object.
I do this partly to refrain from making unnecessary work for myself, but also it adds a bit more of a challenge, also when upcycling found junk i believe it is valuable to retain as much of the original form of the found object as possible.
Being in the workshop is a sort of meditation for me, just being there allows for inspiration to flow and the creative process to emerge. I have a habit of making a start without fully knowing the outcome or direction, it’s almost as if the direction of the piece shows itself some time in to the process, and thats just how i like it.
The piece i want to share with you today took two days – one day of just constant failing (all fricking day) the second day everything just seemed to move in the right direction, i belive it may be because over breakfast i was reminded of an up and coming christening; and we had yet to figure out a gift. I had found a purpose! – i would build a children’s garden chair as a gift. I have built furniture for kids before – check out the crib i made back in 2014, i was confident i could do a good job.
Check out the results below
Not stored properly, the timber had cracked, i decided that was the path forward and split them apart by dropping them from a height.
I cut the pieces in a band saw so that they became even and easier to put together, mapped out the pilot holes for the doweling and began drilling.
Once all pieces where knocked together and glued, it was time to make all the surfaces smooth as possible to avoid splinters.
When it came to the name, i used a router to make small cuts, getting deeper and deeper over time.
The final piece is certainly a little quirky, but i think the chair should be perfect for a small child to sit on when relaxing in the garden. Check out some of my older works here, i especially like this one.
