Combine simple construction concepts with art play for this incredible invitation to build scrap wood sculptures! Each one-of-a-kind sculpture is a tiny feat of art + engineering, and these kid-painted building blocks can be reused repeatedly.
Use the links below to jump straight to a specific topic of interest in this article…
Having studied a bit of architecture in school, I’m a total sucker for small-scale constructions and hands-on opportunities to build with geometric forms. These little wood sculptures allow kids to investigate foundational design principles in a manner that feels like play. And each finished product is a unique, imaginative work of art that can be kept as is or taken apart and built into something totally different.
Don’t feel like getting out all the paints? Minimalists, rejoice! Building these sculptures and constructions is just as fun with unfinished wood scraps.
For more kids’ woodworking projects that are light on the tools and big on learning experiences, build your own set of miniature toy cars from scrap wood or make your own versatile Thingamaboard from scrap wood and craft dowels.
To make your own scrap wood art sculptures you’ll need:
Note: We prefer to shop locally or use what we have at home, but this list contains either our own printable products, or Woodpeckers Crafts, Etsy, Blick Art Materials, and/or Amazon affiliate links for reference. As Amazon Associates, we make a small commission on qualifying purchases.*
BASIC SUPPLIES:
- Wood scraps, paint sticks, and/or building blocks (I used a few of these wooden blocks, and here are some of my favorite wood scrap bundles on Etsy).
- A drill and bits (I used a twist bit to make clean cuts through the wood)
- Sandpaper
- Acrylic paints and foam brushes
- Nuts, bolts, screws, washers, etc. (I used assorted screws – 1/4-inch in diameter and one or two inches in length works well for smaller hands)
OPTIONAL SUPPLIES:
- A hot glue gun or craft glue (I use this low-temp glue gun with kids)
- Rubberbands or craft/floral wire
- Clothespins or other items to add to your sculptures
- Non-toxic wood stain or wax
- A screwdriver (not necessary, but some kids may find it fun to incorporate tools!)
Kids Wood Sculpture Instructions:
Gather wood scraps, building blocks, etc.
I have quite a few pieces of scrap wood from small building projects, but if you don’t have scrap wood around the house, you can easily use building blocks instead (this is a great way to breathe new life into a set!). I used both, along with some paint stirrers I had cut in half and a few clothespins. 
Drill holes randomly, then sand until smooth
This next step is probably best for an adult to complete as prep (especially if you’re using scraps, which can unexpectedly splinter or break when drilling). I used a drill and twist bit to drill holes into half of my scrap wood pieces. I wanted to ensure we had a nice variety of wood scraps for building, so I left half of the blocks as they were, then drilled one hole in a few, made some with 2 or 3 holes, and staggered the placement of the holes.
I used a piece of scrap lumber as my drilling surface simply because I could drill all the way through my woodblocks without worrying about what I’d hit on the other side. As a safety precaution, you may want to use utility clamps to hold everything in place while you drill. 
Note: I find that BIGGER is better for small hands. Using wider bolts and making holes that are just a *bit* larger than your bolts ensures kids can easily handle the supplies and join pieces together without the need for tools.
Before painting or playing, sand around the sides of the drilled holes and any rough edges using medium-fine grit sandpaper.
Paint the scrap wood sculpture-building pieces and let dry
Using acrylic paint and a foam brush, paint your blocks in various fun colors. Let kids pick their palettes, then go to town painting blocks in solid colors or any way they prefer!
Note: you can easily skip this step if you’d prefer and either use wood stain or leave your wood blocks unfinished.
Combine with nuts and bolts to build into sculptures
Once dry, lay out all your blocks with a small bowl or tray of nuts & bolts, assorted rubber bands, clothespins, floral wire, or other supplies you can use for building. Let the construction commence!
Take apart and REBUILD!
And this is my favorite part…once you’ve built your sculptures, you can take EVERYTHING apart, rearrange, and rebuild over and over again.
One of the extra-thrilling aspects of our little DIY tabletop sculptures is that even after constructions were put together, we could create remixes just by moving a few pieces around. Joined wood scraps can be tilted to different angles, small blocks can be stacked in a new order. Using nuts and bolts + simple stacking rather than glue gives SO much freedom to play.
More DIY wood sculpture art ideas to explore with your scrap wood building blocks…
- Add patterns to your DIY wood sculptures. We kept our sculpture building blocks fairly simple by sticking to solid colors, but it’s always exciting to throw some patterns into the mix and see what happens. Splatter your blocks with splotches of a second color, use a stamp to create polka dot blocks, or make some bold two-tone-striped blocks. It’s all up to you!
- Make your sculptures move. As we discovered with our kinetic paper shape art project, there’s a lot of magic in movement. How can you add moving elements to your sculptures? Can you add things that spin in the breeze? Maybe you can incorporate marbles that drop through a hole or experiment with making a simple pendulum?
- Collaborate on a group kids’ wood project! As we were playing with these small-scale sculptures, I couldn’t help but imagine what a BIG collaborative sculpture might look like, or a table full of individual sculptures pushed together. Seeing what a classroom could build with scrap wood building blocks would be so much fun! Give this project its own space, leave out a basket of painted scrap wood building blocks, and invite different ages or groups to continue adding pieces for an ongoing collaborative wood project.
- Incorporate nature into your sculptures. Our sculptures use geometric pieces, but you can invoke a sense of nature and incorporate organic shapes by adding found nature supplies. Rocks, pinecones, leaves, and sticks are all outstanding elements to experiment with!
Good places to find small scrap wood pieces for kids wood projects
- Check to see if your neighbors have a scrap wood stash. The first place I always check is with relatives, friends, and neighbors. You’d be surprised how many people have a box of wood scraps in their garage or basement that they’ve been dying to get off their hands!
- Search an app for wood scraps. Apps like NextDoor, Facebook Marketplace, Decluttr, and OfferUp are great places to find free or low-cost wood remnants.
- Ask a local lumberyard for leftover bits and pieces. Unlike big box stores, local lumber suppliers often have offcuts or salvaged scraps they’re willing to sell at a lower cost than a set of craft woodblocks.
- Shop Etsy for wood blocks. Etsy has become one of my favorite sources for scrap art project supplies because you can usually find inexpensive, ready-to-use materials (like pre-sanded wood scrap sets).
- Buy wooden blocks or craft wood from a toy or craft store. I’ve run across a handful of local craft and toy stores that sell sets of unfinished wood blocks in assorted sizes (Ben Franklin’s for the win!). In a pinch, a set of kids’ natural building blocks works well (although they can be pricier).
Investigate sculpture construction with these artists…
Over the years, I have collected a long list of artists whose styles have influenced the projects I share here. From the materials they use and their celebration of geometric forms to the constructivist characteristics found in their artwork, the artists below all stand out as inventive sculptors to check out alongside this project…
For open-ended process art projects similar to these scrap wood sculptures, try these Memphis-inspired paper sculptures, sit down with us for some relaxing scribble art, go abstract with rainbow road art, or make a set of AMAZINGLY versatile process art play tiles (my new favorite thing!)
*A note about affiliate links: We strive to use simple, earth-friendly supplies that can be purchased locally whenever we can, but sometimes we find the best universally available options, a rare eco-friendly find, or a niche product only available on Blick Art Materials, Amazon, Etsy, or Woodpeckers Crafts. When included in our supply list, these products are affiliate links, and if you click through to make a purchase we receive a small commission that helps us re-order these supplies!
