The best use for a canoe is to paddle it. Sometimes though, canoes reach the end of their lives or we find a cheap (or free) one at a garage sale that won’t last a day on a class II river. If you have a canoe you aren’t using, explore one of these canoe decor ideas to repurpose it and get cracking on a great winter project.
Home decor ideas for your old canoe
1) Canoe light fixture
Home decor doesn’t get much more elegant than this living room light fixture made from an upside-down canoe. Consider the color of the inside of the canoe and how that will affect the light quality this fixture emits.
2) Canoe bookcase or wine rack
A canoe can be repurposed into a bookshelf, coat rack or wine rack by cutting off one end to create a flat surface. Add panels of wood across and diagonally to rest wine and other items in a visually appealing way.
3) Canoe bed
Create a cool lounging space or day bed in your living room by suspending an old canoe from the ceiling with ropes and filling with down, pillows and wool blankets.
4) Canoe planter
Get your outdoor decor going by planting herbs and other plants in an upright canoe. If you really want your garden to make a statement, paint the canoe a splashy red, blue or yellow.
5) Canoe bookshelf above your desk
Mount a canoe on the wall above your desk to create a unique bookshelf. The gunwales and planks of wood added through the inner hull will create neat compartments to keep your things organized.
6) Canoe bench
A canoe turned upside down with a flat seating foundation added along the keel makes a cool and unusual bench. If you aren’t going to be sitting in it on the water, sit on it on land. This could make a great addition to a garden or a patio as well.
A glaring omission…. the canoe casket.
The first three aren’t canoes.