Rustic Craft Safety

Have fun with your garden crafts; stay safe

Making rustic crafts is pretty much a low tech hobby, but some common sense safety rules are going to make your craft making even more satisfying.

As you may be using some sharp implements to cut twigs, always use a close fitting pair of gloves like these ones from Amazon to protect your hands from thorns, sticks and other injury causing components. I like leather, but there are lots of options that are waterproof and close fitting.

Always cut away from yourself when peeling twigs with a sharp knife, and make sure your fingers are out of the way when using a saw, hand or power.

Even a minor cut, scrape or gouge can be dangerous, leading to infection - even tetanus if you're using old rusty metal for making into crafts.

Keep a first aid kit like this one handy, and clean up any wounds immediately. There are lots of small first aid kits that you can keep handy, with all the things you need for small cuts and abrasions.

When making hypertufa, rubber gloves and old clothing to cover bare skin will protect you from caustic elements in the cement powder. See the page on How to Make Hypertufa for more tips.

Goggles or safety glasses are important when cutting any type of material using power tools, and a respirator or surgical mask like this one will prevent lung damage from antlers if you’re making antler crafts such as buttons or toggles.

Loose clothing is dangerous when trekking through woods looking for twigs and birds nests, and if you’re in tick country, tuck your pant leg into your sock to prevent them from crawling up inside.

Check yourself all over once you return.

Use your common sense in all aspects of your rustic craft making, and reduce or eliminate any chance of injury – it can take all the fun out of what is a great and creative pastime.

My Scary Experience

Ever have one of those experiences that don't seem that bad while they're happening, but later, when you think about it and the potential for real harm, you get cold chills?  That's what happened to me the other day.

I dug out my old glue gun, intending to finish off a twig project, and wondered why it wasn't working and getting hot. 

Finally I gave up and unplugged it, and it was only then that I realized the insulation on the cord was chewed through, in places exposing the copper wire.  The cord got so hot in the places where the inner wire was showing that it actually melted the plastic insulation. 

I'm just really glad I didn't touch it, there was an angel looking over my shoulder then for sure.  I could have been badly electrocuted.

So the moral of the story is; if your glue gun or any other electrical tool has been stored for a while, go over it to inspect it for damage. 

If it's been chewed on, don't use it; replace it. 

The tiny cost for a new one is much less than the pain and suffering caused by an injury from such a preventable cause.

The cost for a new glue gun? $9.99.  Narrowly escaping electrocution?  Priceless.

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