With the current trend for the coastal look, it would be foolish to avoid bargain hunting at the local beach for driftwood. These specially created individual and unique pieces designed by nature are there for the picking, admittedly some are a bit dog-eared, but those that happen to form in mystical and magical shapes should be welcomed into the home.
If the edges are not as smooth as you would hope, all you need to do is get some fine sand paper and gently work around the contours of the wood, to draw out the smooth surface that lies beneath. If the piece you found on the beach is quite large, you could even consider putting it out in the garden as a focal point, once again sand it down to reveal the hues of the wood and use a clear varnish to protect the wood.
Just remember to make sure the piece of driftwood is not home to any animal or other plants, if it is leave it be.
