Dowel – 10 Uses For A Wooden Round Rod

A wooden round rod, otherwise known as a wooden dowel, is easily one of the most useful of do-it-yourself supplies. Its eventual form and use is limited only by the instructions of your project or the boundaries of your imagination.
There is no doubt about the usefulness of a wooden round rod in craft projects?
Let’s take a look at ten different uses for a wooden dowel below – and keep in mind that it’s only just scratching the surface.

  • Replace those horrible, hollow metal broomsticks with a solid 3/4 inch wooden round rod. Just wedge into place and hold with rubber cement for a broom handle that won’t break or bend when you use it.
  • Replace broken chair rails with 1/2 inch wooden round rod cut to length. Sand the ends to fit into the peg hole, and use good wood glue to secure. Safe and sound again.
  • Use a 1-2 inch diameter wooden round rod as a hanging rod in your closet. Secure a pair of post supports on two opposite walls and settle the rod into them. Voila! A sturdy hanging pole at whatever height you choose.
  • Cut a lightweight 1/16″ wooden round rod in two – making one length 1.5 times the length of the other. Fasten them perpendicular in a cross, cut notches into the ends and use as a frame for a simple diamond-shaped kite.
  • Use a short length of 1/4 inch wooden round rod as a puppet stick – or use several as the controls for a marionette.
  • Cut a 1 yard length of 3/4 inch wooden round rod and insert into the neck of a hobby horse head to make a handmade hobbyhorse to delight any child.
  • Create a plate rack with a 1x4x8 plank of pine and 22 18-inch lengths of 1/4 inch wooden round rod. Cut the plank precisely in half. Lining the two halves together, measure and mark off 2 inch intervals 1/2 inch in from each side. Using a spade bit, drill 1/4 inch holes through both thicknesses of wood. Insert one wooden round rod into each hole in bottom piece of wood, using a wooden mallet to pound into place if needed. Carefully fit top piece of wood against the tops of the wooden round rods and pound into place.
  • Notch the ends of a length of 1/4 inch wooden round rod. Fit a length of yarn, string or lacing into the notches, and slide the rod through the casing on a wall-hanging. Tie the ends of the cord together and hide inside the casing. Instant tapestry hanger!
  • Create custom curtain rods with wooden round rods and fitted wood turnings and finials.
  • A cut length of wooden round rod can become the center post of a table lamp. Bore a hole through the center of the rod to hold the wiring. Cap the top with the light fixture and affix the bottom to a stand.