17 Natural Live Edge Wood Projects to Add Authenticity to Your Home
There is nothing quite like the natural beauty and character of truly unspoiled live edge wood. These living pieces of wood are allowed to express themselves, creating one-of-a-kind aesthetics for rustic, farmhouse-style households. If you’re thinking of handcrafting your own live edge wood project, check out these 17 Hometalker projects that have transformed living areas, bathrooms, and home offices!
Live Edge Table for Dining Room Sideboard
These Hometalkers brought home a 9-and-a-½-foot piece of stunning live edge wood. They opted to make two live edge tables – a buffet and an entry table. The entirety of the wood was stained and cleaned with mineral spirits. Three coats of polycrylic added the ideal finish, with each coat being sanded. Get tutorial here
Faux Live Edge Wooden Mirror
Glen couldn’t afford to make a real live edge wooden mirror, so he opted to use his cutting skills and creativity to create a faux live edge concept that could work for all kinds of furniture. After removing the frame of the mirror, Glen used an 8ft 1x12 lumber piece cut in half for the front and back. The live edge profile was designed freehand and cut using a jigsaw. Get tutorial here
Live Edge Birch Wall Art for Bathrooms
This Hometalker was in awe of the majestic, prehistoric-looking heron and chose to use heron silhouettes as the accent for her live edge birch wall art in her master bathroom. After purchasing this birch live edge lumber, they used the remnants of an outdoor patio project as wall art, with hand-cut profiles and heron stenciling added using black acrylic paint. Get tutorial here
Stylish Serving Board Made from Live Edge Olive Wood
Zac had a slab of live edge olive wood from a local mill and thought it would make the ideal rustic serving platter. Using a circular saw, he cut into the front edge to add a unique frontage. The wood was sanded before being rubbed down generously with red wine, enriching the grain pattern. The brass handles were fixed, ensuring a sturdy board for entertaining. Get tutorial here
Live Edge Coffee Table With Steel Hairpin Legs
Hometalker Zest it Up picked up some planks of black walnut from a local yard with a view to handcrafting their own DIY live edge coffee table for their living space. The top layers of the walnut were sanded until smooth using coarse and fine grit sandpaper. The four hairpin legs were attached before a coat of satin polyurethane embellished its natural beauty. Get tutorial here
Stand Up Live Edge Wood Desk for Home Offices
This Hometalker crafted a forward-thinking stand-up desk using live edge wood for his home office. After gluing and clamping the 7" maple pieces together, he covered the wood with resin to seal it. After 24 hours, they gave the wood a finish coat of resin to give it that shiny, glossy appearance. Any excess resin was spread out onto the edges to finish them simultaneously. Get tutorial here
Live Edge Table With Industrial Pipework Legs
This thin piece of live edge cedar was acquired at a yard sale and used to create a narrow sofa table, complete with metal pipe legs – the ideal pairing for the cedar slab. After cutting the ends and pruning the knobby points, the cedar was sanded with up to 320 grit for a smooth finish. The top was finished with beeswax before the metal pipe legwork was cleaned and assembled. Get tutorial here
Kitchen Pot Rack Made from Live Edge Walnut
Do you struggle to find a convenient place to hang your pots and pans? This unique DIY live edge walnut pot rack might be the answer to your kitchen storage problems. After a few trips through the planer, a coat of boiled linseed oil, and some sturdy hooks, this piece of walnut was ready to hold Jennifer’s cast iron pots and saucepans all day long! Get tutorial here
Floating Bathroom Vanity Using a Live Edge Walnut Slab
This floating bathroom vanity unit was a real space-saver for Hometalker Brian. The 2" thick live edge walnut slab is the real show-stopper here, adding genuine natural character. The bark inclusion of the live edge top was filled with epoxy to keep the vanity top smooth. A cantilevered beam system was created to attach the floating vanity to the bathroom wall. Get tutorial here
Live Edge Office Desk and Side Table
This Hometalker opted to create a new rustic desk and side table for their woodworking dad’s home office using a live edge slab of maple and 3/4 piping for the industrial legwork. The drawer handles were made from antlers, fishing lines, and fly rod handles in keeping with her father’s hobbies, and the chest of drawers was also made from reclaimed wood. Get tutorial here
Practical Live Edge Wooden Night Stand
After being inspired by a standing wooden night table in a store, Hometalker Monique opted to create one of her own using a live edge plank costing approximately $100. Monique used 16" pieces of bark as the shelving and base of her night table before sanding her Red Oak plank. All of the pieces were varnished, including the bark, for a professional finish. Get tutorial here
Rustic Live Edge Wood Bar
Tricia made a live edge wood bar for her cottage guest shed. Using only a skill saw, bar clamps, paint sticks, a razor knife, and glue, it was possible to achieve a rustic aesthetic. After gluing and clamping her two pieces of lumber – one with a stunning live edge – she filled the minor cuts in the wood with paint sticks before mounting using industrial brackets. Get tutorial here
LED Color-Changing Live Edge Shelf
This Hometalker created a one-of-a-kind live edge shelf enhanced by a strip of LED color-changing lighting. The shelf comprised of rough-cut silver birch and a top piece of pine. After squaring and planning the silver birch, the top piece of pine was cut to the same length. The LED strip went between the two pieces of wood before staining and varnishing. Get tutorial here
DIY Tree Stump Side Table With Live Edge
Jen created her own live edge tree stump table using reclaimed wood. This sweet gumtree had its bark removed before being sanded and finished with protective polyurethane. She used angled top plates in order to position the table’s legs at angles. The legs were made from threaded rods, washi tape, and hex coupling nuts, providing a contrast for the chunky tabletop. Get tutorial here
Live Edge Myrtle Cutting Board for Culinary Masterminds
Fillipi found a downed bay tree on his property and opted to repurpose it to make some tables and benches. With one slab, he opted to make some cutting boards ideal for hosting. This live edge piece was cleaned and sanded before the natural cracks in the wood were filled with navy blue epoxy. The boards’ handles were hand-cut using a jigsaw. Get tutorial here
Gorgeous DIY Live Edge Wood Mantel
As part of this Hometalker’s fireplace makeover, they used an old, dead tree to create a beautiful live edge mantel above their new rustic farmhouse-style fireplace. The large stump had its bark removed before sanding until 100% smooth. A hole for the ledger board was created so that it could be mounted before sealing with polyurethane for a gorgeous sheen. Get tutorial here
Live Edge Home Desk With Adjustable Height
Hometalker Zac had been eyeing an office desk that he could use as both a sitting and standing desk. He created his own with an ergonomic live edge desktop and electronically adjustable legs. Using only an Allen key, Zac disassembled the existing legs and fit the new adjustable legs. Holes were pre-drilled for the wood screws due to the strength of the walnut. Get tutorial here