At St Piers, creativity is blooming in the most unexpected places. Students have taken up a unique and sustainable craft—transforming wood offcuts from around the campus into stunning handmade wooden flowers.
This imaginative project is part of a wider initiative to promote environmental awareness and hands-on learning. Rather than letting leftover wood go to waste, students are repurposing it into decorative items that celebrate nature and craftsmanship. From rustic daisies to vibrant roses, each flower is carved, shaped, and assembled with care, using simple tools and techniques taught in on-site workshops.
The process begins with collecting wood scraps from maintenance and landscaping work around the campus. Students then learn how to plane, shape, and carve the wood into petal forms, often using hand tools like chisels, sandpaper, and glue guns. The petals are layered and glued to form lifelike blooms, which are then painted or stained to add colour and character.
These wooden flowers aren’t just beautiful—they’re purposeful. Many are sold at the St Piers enterprise market, with proceeds supporting student-led projects and work experience schemes. Others are used to decorate campus spaces, adding a warm, handmade touch to classrooms, offices, and community areas.
The initiative also ties into broader events like National Careers Week, where students gain practical experience in crafting, marketing, and selling their creations. It’s a brilliant example of how sustainability, creativity, and enterprise can come together in education.
Whether displayed in a vase, mounted as wall art, or gifted to a loved one, these wooden flowers are a testament to the students’ ingenuity and the spirit of St Piers—where every scrap has potential, and every student has a chance to flourish.
