Whether it's wood left behind because of a house renovation or your husband or older brother built a new treehouse, leftover lumber is still usable. Instead of just throwing the extra wood away, why don't you try building something with it? With the Earth getting warmer everyday because of the greenhouse effect, it's only natural that we should protect our trees as they're the only ones who can take that much punishment from the sun. To do just that, we have to use lumber wisely.

Asides from lumber, trees are also cut down to make paper and a whole other things. If you want to help protect our trees, then you may want to do something about the extra lumber. However, before you attempt to build either a picnic table or a doll house, make sure that the extra wood is enough for the project. And also, make sure that you are up to the task; if you can't do it, have someone else do the project for you.

Here are some of the things that you can do if you have some extra lumber in your house:

1. Picnic Table - If you have a really big lawn or yard in the house, building a simple picnic table should be easy. Often at times, the picnic table is the first thing in mind when dealing with extra lumber. If you're someone who enjoys having a picnic outside, then this should be a good project for you.

As for the designs, there's the traditional 6 foot picnic table, the octagon picnic table and a bunch of other designs. You can find a lot of these designs in the Internet and most websites have the instructions on how to cut and piece the wood together. However, if you are not too confident with your skills with the hammer and saw, then get someone to build the picnic tables for you.

2. An Extra Chair - If you feel that you need an extra chair, then start building one with all the extra lumber in your home. It wouldn't hurt to be extra prepared, you know. As a matter of fact, I had this one situation where a very hyperactive toddler broke one of the chairs in the house and there's a party going on; fortunately, I had a couple of spare chairs that I built from the leftover lumber.

3. Doll House - My niece loves her little dolls, so I had a good friend build a lovely doll house for her toys. No, it doesn't have to be that articulate or pretty; there are a lot of simple doll house designs that you can check in the Internet. Once again, don't attempt to make one if you're not confident in using sharp tools. The doll house can be as big as a child or small enough for her dolls to fit in.

4. Outdoor Cabinet - Having an outdoor cabinet can be quite an advantage. If you have pesticides, insecticides, sharp or heavy tools that you wish to keep away from children, then building an extra outdoor cabinet might do you good. Make sure to place a lock for the cabinet to keep the children outside and the contents inside.

5. A Bird House - Finally, you can build a simple bird house in your porch. Wild or migrating birds love these buildings as it provides them with a rest stop while traveling. You also get to enjoy watching these feathery creatures eat some of the treats you left on the bird house.