Suggestions for project from an old door.

[Dustin Nuckolls]

Hello all,

I have a solid pine entry door from my home. The home is where my mother in law grew up and I would like to make something as a keepsake after we replaced the original front door. Ideally I would like to make at least two items from the door. One for my mil and one for my wife. There are two uncles that I would make something for if the project is small and the door would yield 4 items. Any suggestions would be welcomed.
I am a middle school shop teacher, so my skills are decent but I will not be crafting fine furniture any time soon ;-).

[Sam Murdoch]

Solid pine as in solid wood planks or a frame and panel door made out of pine? Your answer would effect ours.

[Dustin Nuckolls]

Good question. It is a frame and panel type, with 4 small windows (maybe 4 inches x4 inches each at most) along the top.

[Bill McNiel]

Keepsake boxes?

[Von Bickley]

hall tree.jpgYou wouldn't get but one, but I would shoot for a hall tree.

[John Lankers]

I like Von Buckley's idea but you'd almost need a barn door to pull that off.
How about a mirror or picture frame, spice rack or curio shelf, all small enough projects to provide something for everyone.

[Sam Murdoch]

How about a mirror or picture frame, spice rack or curio shelf, all small enough projects to provide something for everyone.

These all have merit. The 4 little panels at the top of the door might serve as a long family photo frame with a photo in each square or a mirror and photos etc. Would help to see a photo of the door for more realistic suggestions. How much are you prepared to disassemble and just use pieces. Do you want to keep all looking like they are door parts or just pieces of wood?

[Dustin Nuckolls]

All great suggestions so far. As far as disassembly, I'm not terribly concerned that they remain looking like the original door, just like the idea of putting the wood to use as a keepsake.

[lowell holmes]

Keep Sake Boxes ?

[Earl McLain]

I like the keepsake box idea, but then I like to make boxes anyway. With a little thought, boxes could be dimensioned with the lids to mimic the frame & panel door pretty easily. More complex would be to add the 4 windows to the lid, either to frame small photos or perhaps a single photo that might mimic what she'd have seen looking out the windows (substitute a nice garden photo if the original view is like the railyard my Mother saw!!)

earl

[John Sanford]

I'd do the picture frame concept (perhaps a shadow box?) using the top windowed portion. You can make a desk top or such using a large portion of the door, topping it with glass in order to preserve the "doorness" of it.