Junk Word Sign

Give this great recycling project a try. It's perfect for gifts for family and friends.

It's amazing what you can find that closely resembles letters in a junk pile. This "Joy" sign is made of a rusty iron farm hook, a Christmas-tree stand and a pruning from a yellow-twig dogwood. Scour your "junk" to see if you can spell out a word and arrange the letters on a rustic piece of barn wood. These make wonderful gifts for friends and neighbors.

Here are some ideas for letters:

• The poker end of a fire place tool makes a great lowercase "r."


• Horseshoes can be a "U," "C" or lowercase "n."


• Big rusty washers make a classic "O."


• Old bicycle chains can be shaped into any letter. Leave it outside to rust into shape.

Courtesy of the Salvage Studio.

For more information about the Salvage Studio, visit their Web site.

For more ideas on home and garden inspiration, pick up a copy of The Salvage Studio: Sustainable Home Comforts to Organize, Entertain and Inspire (Skipstone, $21.95).