Harvest Wall Hanging

I was looking for a project that I could hang by my front door, and I had the idea to make a seasonal wall hanging. I headed down to the Wood Connection and found the pieces I needed for this wall plaque.


It was super easy to make! All you need is:

Decorative metal piece (mine is Harvest, but there are plenty of other cute designs)
Wood to mount the metal on
Metal scroll
Ribbon
Paint
Sandpaper
Stain
Wire
Matte finishing spray

1. If your wood was not pre-drilled, drill the holes so that you will be able attach your metal design and scroll.
2. Sand the wood.
3. Paint wood your desired color. Allow the wood to dry.
4. If desired, sand the painted wood. Apply a light coat of stain to the wood and allow to dry.
5. Spray the wood within a matte finishing spray.
6. Screw the metal design to the wood.
7. Attach the metal scroll to the plaque using wire. Cover the wire by tying ribbon around it.

That's it! This is such an easy project, and I can't wait to make more seasonal plaques.

Easy Decorative Letters

Have you ever painted decorative letters for your house, but had a hard time getting the paint into all the small nooks and crannies? Use this easy tip to get everything covered, plus save time and paint!

You will need:
Your project
Wood stain
Rubbermade containers (2)
Paint stirring sticks
Foam brush

First, choose a wood stain that will work with your project. Generally, a medium brown stain works best. The stain that I used was a little dark, but it still worked fine.

Pour some of the stain into one of the rubbermade containers. Place the letter into the stain and agitate it so that it is coated with the stain. Turn it over and repeat so that both sides are evenly covered.

Place the stirring sticks across the second rubbermade container. Place the stained letter across the sticks and allow it to dry. Use the foam brush to wipe off any extra stain.

Once the stain is dry, paint the front of the letter. Repeat with the remaining letters/pieces of your project.