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Wood. One of the world’s most prolific natural resources, we rely on it for everything from literal shelter from the outside world to the smooth functioning of most schools and businesses.  And although we’re finding that in our increasingly digital world we’re slowly having less need for paper, this resource’s reach goes far beyond the book and paper industry. This material has a strong history in the art world. In craft, we can trace it back to early examples like totem poles, wooden sculptures, violins, and origami. Below are some of wood craft projects that we find particularly inspiring.  And, you’ll see below that wood does have its place in our digital times.

Mixing wood craft and typography, nuzzles are handcrafted wooden typographic puzzles. Amazingly, the artist, John Christenson, hand crafts each one from a single block of wood. Because they interlock, they can be treated as puzzles, or simply decorative. Christenson plays up the material, choosing to highlight the natural beauty in the wood’s texture rather than disguise the material through paint or sanding.

For the millennial who has everything – behold the Ply Laptop Case. Impeccably designed, it was created with two blended panels of plywood which slide along one another to open and close. In case you were worried that the material wouldn’t cushion the laptop enough – the designer, Brian Kelly, has lined the case with cork for additional heat resistance and protection. We love this unique piece, and can imagine that it would be quite a conversation starter!

This piece seems better fitted for a museum than a bathroom; it’s hard not to admire this minimalist and uncommon sink design, the “Aqua Vita” washbasin. The actual bowl is cone shaped and open on one side – but because of the design, the water’s flow will be contained. We appreciate this streamlined and simple way the basic shapes are put together.  Check out Ekateryna Sokolova’s profile for more great industrial designs.

Since we already showed you the plywood laptop, we really can’t resist including the Wooden Mouse. In the designer’s words, “the idea behind the product is to get the maximum out of natural materials” and make something ecologically sustainable.  They start with industrial quality wood, and use natural linseed oil and carnauba wax as a finishing coat. If you check out the additional images in the project, you’ll notice the intense detail on all parts of the mouse – there’s even carved words on the scroller! Apparently developing these manufacturing techniques took 4 years…and it certainly shows.

To see more inspiring images for this article, check out the “Wood Craft Inspiration” album that our curators put together on Veer.com. If you like what you see, sign up for a Veer account for a choice selection of affordable stock photography. Bonus – new registrants get 10 free credits.