Woodscapes are wood craft kits that allow you to create your own artwork for your home. By painting and gluing together various pieces of wood, you can create beautiful yet affordable home décor. Even if you have no previous artistic training, you can finish a woodscape in just a few hours.
The style of most woodscapes is fairly traditional. Landscapes are quite common, although some woodscapes may also feature animals or flowers. Lighthouses and nautical scenes also appear to be very popular design options for woodscape enthusiasts.
Most woodscapes are made from either spruce or basswood. Woodscapes made of basswood typically have a smoother appearance than spruce woodscape kits. However, since spruce kits tend to produce a larger finished project, many crafters choose spruce woodscapes when they are looking to create impressive displays for their homes.
The basic principle of a woodscape is a cross between a jigsaw puzzle and a paint by number kit. Woodscape kits include precut pieces of wood, paints, brushes, glue, and an instruction booklet. More complicated woodscapes may feature etching on some of the individual pieces.
When assembling a woodscape, organization is key. Spread the pieces out on a large table and check to make sure you have everything you need before you begin the project. If you’re worried that you might not complete the project in one sitting, store the pieces in small plastic bags until you need them.
After your woodscape is completed, you can apply a thin coat of varnish or sealer to protect the wood. Some kits have a frame included for easy display. However, if your kit did not include a frame, you can easily take your woodscape to a local framing shop to select a frame that matches your home décor.
Although most woodscape designs are intended to appeal to older crafters, children can easily complete a wood craft kit with adult assistance. Since the pieces of a woodscape are precut, there are no sharp tools involved. In addition, the paints in a woodscape kit are typically water-based acrylics to make clean up a relatively simple process.
Woodscapes can be purchased at most larger craft stores or online from specialty wood craft websites. Prices will vary according to the size of the finished picture and whether or not a frame is included in the woodscape kit. However, crafters on a budget may be able to find sales and specials with careful comparison shopping.