The waste wood from the beach huts taken down at Muizenberg is being repurposed to make Christmas trees.
Capetonians can now own a piece of the city’s heritage as the waste wood from the old beach huts taken down at Muizenberg has been transformed into Christmas trees.
During the renovation of the iconic huts, Angela Gorman, of the Beach Huts Trust, saw an opportunity to preserve, protect, and promote these iconic structures, by repurposing the waste wood.
“I just love Christmas, but it seems strange having a plastic tree with fake snow in our climate. I always look for different options for our home. Seeing the pile of wood after the huts were taken down, I thought the trees would add a splash of colour to any patio/deck/ garden, where we spend time braaing in summer,” she said.
Ms Gorman enlisted the help of Shafiek Solomons, of Lavender Hill, and Anthony Cockburn, of Plumstead, to create the Christmas trees, which range from 1.4 to 2.4 metres in height. Prices vary from R250 to R950.
They manage the entire process, from taking down the huts to sanding the wood and turning it into Christmas trees.
Mr Solomons runs his own small business, specialising in waterproofing, renovating, maintenance and painting. He has been with the Beach Huts Trust for two years.
“To make one tree takes about two hours depending on the size and condition of the wood. We also need to take out old nails and remove any rotten pieces of wood,” he said.
Mr Cockburn started his own business nine years ago, making wooden products for clients but he specialises in wine crates and custom wine racks.
"I saw his advertisement on Facebook and decided to order some wine crates from him,“ said Ms Gorman. ”While chatting, I told him of my idea to repurpose the old wood and turn it into Christmas trees. He loved the idea and got going immediately.“
Mr Cockburn said: "The great thing about this project is that you can own a piece of history and donate to a good cause.“
Ms Gorman said there had been a good response from the public.
“The response really has been fantastic; we sold out the first weekend we sold them.”
However, Mr Solomons and Mr Cockburn are hard at work and intend to make as many as possible before Christmas.
Ms Gorman said: “This is the last of the wood for our colourful, iconic huts. They are a piece of history. From now on, all the huts will be made from Nutec and not wood. So people should buy their special memoir of the past and keep it forever.”
She said the proceeds from the sale of the Christmas trees would contribute to the creation of a sustainable beach hut industry that could fund the huts’ ongoing maintenance needs.
A limited number of trees are available in different sizes, some with LED lights.
To order a recycled Christmas email angela@beachhuts.org.za