Harnessing tree sap to bind wood is a technique that dates back more than 45,000 years — a fact that fascinated Catskills-based studio Earth to People enough to revive the age-old process, using nature’s glue to assemble furniture pieces crafted from reclaimed cedar and aluminum. Founders Jordan and Brittany Weller are “driven by a love of ancient stewardship and the handmade,” and for the past two years, they’ve dedicated their practice to reviving historic furniture-making traditions — taking things back to basics to create more sustainable, but still beautiful, seating and lighting.

Aptly titled Salvage & Sap, Earth to People’s first collection included a dining chair, armchair, sconce, floor and table lamp. It all started with the Sap Chair, which the duo created in 2024. Hand-hewn from three planes that derive from a single, 400-year-old red cedar tree, naturally felled by wind, the dining chair is held together with pine sap and wooden dowels — making it 100% natural. The design for an armchair quickly followed, similarly utilizing wind-felled timber and sap glue combined into a simple four-plane design, with a seat supported by a thin aluminum sheet. A cushion for the armchair is upholstered in canvas made from undyed organic cotton and hemp, and is filled with cedar shavings to minimize waste from the production process. “This inaugural series was a conscientious effort to learn from the past in order to build a better future,” says the studio.

Glues typically used in contemporary furniture often contain toxic chemicals, so with this all-natural adhesive, the studio is advocating for a return to ancient practices. The sap is harvested by hand using a hatchet, chipping away where the trees have build-up on their surfaces, rather than cutting them down. The sticky sap is heated to a liquid in a pot, then strained through metal mesh and cheesecloth to remove any dirt or impurities. Rather than kiln-drying, the wooden slabs are air-dried on the banks of the Mamquam Blind Channel in Squamish, British Columbia, and the aluminum they use is reclaimed from a local metal recycling depot. 

Following the success of their debut line, Earth to People expanded their idea for another series released this year. A stool, side table, floor lamp, and a pair of wall sculptures are all built from chunky cedar planes, which tessellate and overlap in slightly more expressive forms than the initial pieces while still retaining a raw and elemental look. Now that its properties and eco-credentials have been demonstrated, will more designers opt to use pine sap as glue?