Manga Drone

Got scrap wood from past projects piling up? Host Jason Pickens has an amazing upcycled solution. With just a couple pieces of scrap wood and paint, you can create rustic, Scandinavian-inspired wooden houses perfect for your holiday mantel or Christmas tablescape. Read on for the oh-so-easy how-to.

Materials Needed

    scrap wood
    circular saw
    pull saw
    safety glasses
    ear protection

    220-grit sanding paper
    150-grit sanding paper
    chalk paint (white, black and red)
    paint brushes
    wood glue


Gather your scrap wood. Small blocks from old, oak beams have a great weathered texture. And don’t overlook the tiny stuff. Small angle cut-offs make great roof pieces. Play around with pieces and assemble a cluster of houses in various heights.

Using a saw, cut the top of a block of wood at a 45-degree angle to mimic a roof shape. This cut doesn’t have to be exact. In fact, it looks more rustic and bespoke if it’s not. For other roof designs, use a pull saw to cut small roof pieces. Use other scrap wood as a base when using the pull saw so that you don’t cut your table or work surface. Find tiny pieces of wood or cut small rectangles and squares to use as doors and windows. Once you have all of your pieces cut, sand each piece to smooth and remove splinters. Use 150-grit sanding paper. Repeat sanding process with 220-grit paper to prep surfaces for painting.