Comment by Meg Mackenzie on January 30, 2013 at 4:17pm

Ev, what a good idea. I have a whole heap of those twiddly bits as well that I don't use. I was feeling that they may make good kindling for the fire this winter. You should be able to get away with a piece of ply, or even hardboard (which is thinner - used to be used for wall linings before plaster board), so long as it is not kept somewhere where it would warp. If your wooden bits were put on unpainted (and then painted afterward) you would be able to use a wood glue (like PVA) quite effectively. However, if you do paint the back of the bits you are going to use with acrylic paints and then need to stick them on, you may well have to go to a clear craft glue or even an epoxy.

If you use a light ply or hardboard it should not be too heavy, as the inserts themselves are fairly light and these grounds (the boards) aren't that heavy either. Having said all of that, it would be easier to put wood screws or eyes into the ply than the hardboard for attaching a hanging wire, etc. You may have to give some thought to how you want to hang it before you make the thing. For example, if you want to use hardboard because it is so thin, you may wish to screw some wooden nogs onto the back for your hanging eyes first (before sticking bits on) as you can always cover the screw heads with your little bits of wood as you build your artwork. Just a thought.

A note about these glues: I recommend that you keep your PVA and craft glue well sealed and in the fridge, as it lasts longer and you get more even results with it. I have had some of my glues for years and they are just as good as when I bought them. The glues that I kept out of the fridge have all gone claggy, brittle or dried out within weeks or months. Glue sticks keep best in the fridge as well.

Have fun - I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

Comment by Shari Bryant on February 10, 2013 at 8:39am

what i have done with those wood bits is turn them into jewelry components and keychain bobbles. the balsam wood is so light and they can be etched with a wood burner or painted or stamped, etc. i use my cropadile to punch holes in one or both ends (depending on the use). a good pair of scissors with trim edges and sandpaper with smooth any rough bits. if i were going to use them for a "painting", i would "paint"(whatever technique for getting color on them) them and then cut them down into two squares and make a mosaic out of them. im pretty sure a good craft glue (Aleen's tacky glue is great) would work if you are working with porous substrates. i have used Golden Gac 200 and E6000 with good success on non porous. :)

Comment by Karen L Williams on March 6, 2013 at 9:55pm

Brilliant idea! I'd love to see photos of process and finished...you can go to Home Depot or Lowe's and get Liquid Nails and a caulking gun.   I've only used it in home remodel projects, not art, but it is easy to work with and really does hold as well as nails.

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