Tiny Trivets, or Practicing Inventive Thinking

A few weeks back I had a Saturday where I needed to get my head out of the virtual tech world and get my hands involved in creating something tangible. The end result was three tiny trivets and a stand for them.

The thought process I used for this stuck with me, because it's one that I think is extremely relevant to living tiny, creatively, and efficiently. It went a little like this:

I Need Some Trivets

First order of business was determining the need. I have a running list of all the remaining items I'll need to make or buy to end up with a complete and functioning kitchen. Trivets were on that list. I initially looked online to see what was out there, and I found some cool options on Amazon like this trivet tree.

My first instinct was to buy something like that, which was completely valid. They're highly rated, don't take up much space, and can be a decorative addition to a countertop. However, my do-it-yourself spirit wasn't quite content with that option. And my I'm-paying-for-home-construction side definitely liked the idea of not spending any money.

Why Not Make Some Trivets?

So I decided to make some myself. I'd just find what I needed from my box of scrap wood, and what was available there would determine the style and look of the trivets. That would make this a zero-cost project.

At first, I wanted to re-create those adorable trivet trees I'd found on Amazon. But thinking about it further, I didn't love the idea of putting elastic inside wood (why does that feel wrong?), and I'd still have to buy the right type of elastic for it to work. I needed to stay faithful to my intention of making this zero cost. So it was back to the drawing board.

What Size Do Trivets Really Need to Be?

I had some pieces of gorgeous walnut and hard maple, but they were pretty small. Whatever style I went with, I'd be working with small pieces in order to make more than a single trivet. That got me thinking: what size do these really have to be in order to be functional?

I had some ideas about my ideal trivet:

• Can be used with both a very small dish and very large one
• Can be used with a large sheet pan
• Not so shallow that you risk heat touching the counter when moving the dish
• Can live in a spot that's always within arm's reach when cooking

It occurred to me that I could make an extremely simple grid just big enough to decently support a big dutch oven, with a cross section small enough to support a very small dish. And then if I had multiple trivets, I could just use two and place very large sheet pans on them. Better yet, these would take up hardly any space no matter where I decided to store them - perfect for my tiny house where I want to optimize all the space I'll have.

That worked perfectly with my scraps. I had just enough to cut pieces that were 5" long and about 3/4" wide. For my woodworking friends, I just made some dado cuts to support the interlocking of these pieces. I decided to make them just big enough to allow for a good hammering into place, so no glue! And I finished them simply with butcher block conditioner.

Make A Statement

So now I had three adorable little trivets. (Would have had four, but one did fail thanks to me miscalculating a cut! However I'll probably remake it later with the bits of leftover scraps I have). The question remained how I intended to store these.

They could of course stand on their own, or stack on top of each other, but what I really wanted was some way to allow them to live on my countertop as a truly decorative item. That's part of what had so drawn me to the trivets I'd found online.

Looking at them, and looking at my remaining scraps, I thought why not make a little block of wood they can sit on as a stand? I can make it a little longer than needed so I can add another trivet or two if needed, and the whole thing can act like a tiny art piece in my kitchen. That way the trivets are always within arm's reach, but feel like an intentional piece of beauty when not in use.

Practicing Inventive Thinking

With my finished trivets, I started thinking about the fact that this was really a lesson in questioning my assumptions and embracing a more inventive, fact-based mindset in finding solutions for my needs. So much of what appeals to me about tiny living is the questioning of norms in favor of choosing alternatives. Just because it's normal in the US to have a house over 1,000 square feet doesn't mean it's exactly the right thing for you!

There is so much power in asking "what do I truly need?" or "is there a better way to achieve this goal?". I've found over and over again in life that those questions often provide space for the creation of what is new, beautiful, and very practical. (Web development included! I owe my coding and troubleshooting abilities to asking questions like those.)

Whether it's trivets, appliances, coding, or philosophizing in general, I keep finding that the pursuit of truth, beauty, and tangible purpose always results in increased freedom, growth, and overall beauty. And that tiny pieces of scrap wood can solve larger problems than you might expect.