DIY: Crafty Things to do With Old Skateboard Decks

A few weeks back I got the opportunity to perform at the Skate This Art exhibit at Sub-Mission, which was a lot of fun '“ and not just the performance part. Browsing the decks, painted and hung on the walls, I wished for a moment I were a more reckless broke-ass, because I wanted to toss caution to the wind and bid on a few of those beauties pretty badly. Smart girl that I am, I stuck my hands in my pockets and kept walkin’ but since then, I’ve been eyeing my ol’ blind nine lives differently. So, for my friends who have a deck or two lying around, here are some sweet ways to repurpose those boards. Shout out to the GBSP who taught me everything I know.

Bench '“ This one’s cake. Get hairpin legs. Attach. Sit. Stay.

Clock '“ Almost as easy. Grab a clockworks kit, and picture hooks. Assemble the clockworks (with the hands of the clock showing on the purty side of the deck), then attach the picture hooks to the top upper corners of the deck. Stretch and tie off a wire between the hooks then mount on the wall.

Bookshelves '“ Damn, well. This is gonna take some drilling. It’s also gonna take two boards, two L brackets, two threaded rods, and about 16 bolts & washers. Bore holes for the rods in the decks, put the nuts on the rods so they fit on either side of the deck, then tighten down the bolts so the decks are held in place on the rods. Attach the L brackets to the bottom of the top deck, then attach to the wall.

Most skateboard re-purposing requires at least a basic know-how about tools, decks, and working with wood, but simply painting and hanging a deck '“ or doing something simple, like trying to recreate this:

Or this:

Wouldn’t exactly be rocket surgery, right? For inspiration, check out here, here and here.