Unit 2 1.5 Assignment (Unit 2): Demonstrate how to make a range of different items using
natural woodland materials and explain how this can be taught to a client group.
There are a variety of items that can be made using woodland materials and some Forest
School tools. Time and imagination play a great role in helping us develop our creative
abilities.
Working collaboratively to produce these items helps participants, both younger and older, to
develop communication, teamwork, social skills and have a sense of achievement upon
completing their creations.
As I am a “lone-wolf” out in Bavaria I decided to keep my items as simple as possible, not
because I would expect participants skills to be low but rather that mine are relatively low.
This has emphasised or highlighted the point to me that I need to attend a two day practical
course in the UK, at some stage, to reinforce and improve my current skills and knowledge
and alco comply with CPD.
I visited the local park and forest to collect several sticks and branches with which to build
my “creations”.
I built a small “occasional” table as my first item. As all the wood involved was from
windfall, I did not have to use loppers or any other felling tool to collect the material. I did,
however improvise slightly as I used a ball of wool to help me build the frame for the table as
I didn’t have any garden twine available.
I began with a pile of branches that were different lengths and thicknesses. I choose the sticks
with the widest girths to make four legs for the table by using a small hand saw to cut them to
size. I then choose several thinner branches to lay together on the table frame to create a
“table top”.
To demonstrate the stability of the table I placed a cup and can on top of it. With hindsight, I
can see that more stability needs to be built into the table by perhaps bracing the legs with
cross branches and perhaps using thicker branches. I believe this would be a great project for
2 or more people as tying the frame together took quite some time and was fiddly so an extra
pair of hands would have been very helpful, as would other ideas about its construction.
pg. 1
natural woodland materials and explain how this can be taught to a client group.
There are a variety of items that can be made using woodland materials and some Forest
School tools. Time and imagination play a great role in helping us develop our creative
abilities.
Working collaboratively to produce these items helps participants, both younger and older, to
develop communication, teamwork, social skills and have a sense of achievement upon
completing their creations.
As I am a “lone-wolf” out in Bavaria I decided to keep my items as simple as possible, not
because I would expect participants skills to be low but rather that mine are relatively low.
This has emphasised or highlighted the point to me that I need to attend a two day practical
course in the UK, at some stage, to reinforce and improve my current skills and knowledge
and alco comply with CPD.
I visited the local park and forest to collect several sticks and branches with which to build
my “creations”.
I built a small “occasional” table as my first item. As all the wood involved was from
windfall, I did not have to use loppers or any other felling tool to collect the material. I did,
however improvise slightly as I used a ball of wool to help me build the frame for the table as
I didn’t have any garden twine available.
I began with a pile of branches that were different lengths and thicknesses. I choose the sticks
with the widest girths to make four legs for the table by using a small hand saw to cut them to
size. I then choose several thinner branches to lay together on the table frame to create a
“table top”.
To demonstrate the stability of the table I placed a cup and can on top of it. With hindsight, I
can see that more stability needs to be built into the table by perhaps bracing the legs with
cross branches and perhaps using thicker branches. I believe this would be a great project for
2 or more people as tying the frame together took quite some time and was fiddly so an extra
pair of hands would have been very helpful, as would other ideas about its construction.
pg. 1
