arts and craft Archives - Page 17 of 74

DIY Scrap Wood Fall Sign

DIY Scrap Wood Fall Leaf Sign

It’s Shara from Woodshop Diaries and I’ve been on a roll lately with scrap wood projects (remember the scrap wood caddy?) Today I have another fun project to help you get ready for fall! It’s a super easy DIY Scrap Wood Fall Leaf Sign.

I’m ALWAYS in the mood for fall because it’s my favorite season! I know it’s August, but in just a few short days the calendar will flip to September! Time to get a head start. This simple project is great for decorating your house. Instead of a leaf, you could make a turkey, pumpkin, or whatever you want!

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Scrap 1/4” plywood (my piece was 11 ½”x11 ½”)
Scrap 3/4” plywood (should be same size as your ¼” piece)
1″ x 2″x 5′ board
Jig Saw
Drill
1/4″ Drill bit
Sandpaper
Miter saw
Tape measure
Nail gun (or hammer and nails)
Wood glue
Leaf stencil (Grab one from a Google search)
Stain and/or Paint

Cut List:

1/4” x 11 ½” x 11 ½”
3/4” x 11 ½” x 11 ½”
(2) 3/4” x 1 ½” x 11 ½”
(2) 3/4” x 1 ½” x 13”

Instructions:

Step 1: Cut your plywood to size

Cut your 1/4” and 3/4” piece of plywood to the same size. (Mine are 11 ½” square, but if you have larger or smaller pieces of scrap, feel free to alter the sizes. The only rule is to make sure your 1/4″ & 3/4″ plywood scraps are the same size.)

Step 2: Cut out your leaf shape

Perform a Google search for “leaf clip art” and make your own stencil from a leaf print out.

Trace your leaf shape stencil onto the 1/4” piece of plywood, making sure it is centered. (Ignore the fact that I didn’t cut out my plywood square shape first.)

Using a large drill bit, drill a hole into the middle of the leaf shape.

Insert your jig saw blade into the pre-drilled hole.

Cut out the leaf shape.

Sand the rough edges with sandpaper.

Step 3: Stain or paint pieces

Paint or stain the pieces at this point. For the same look as mine, stain the 1/4″ plywood and leave the 3/4” piece unfinished. This will allow the leaf shape to stand out against the dark stain. In addition, you can paint the ¾” piece, or stain it a different color. Use your own creativity to finish your DIY Scrap Wood Fall Sign.

Step 4: Glue the pieces together

Glue the 1/4” plywood cut out to the 3/4” piece of plywood.

Clamp the two pieces together as the glue dries.

Step 5: Add the frame

Once the glue is dry, cut pieces of 1″ x 2″ to fit around the edges of the plywood art. (Measure yourself or use the cut list above). Attach using a nail gun or hammer and nails.

Add a coat of polycrylic to protect the wood.

Then hang that baby up or set it somewhere where you will see it.

Now grab your hot chocolate and hoodies because you are officially ready for sweater weather and the fall season!

For more scrap wood inspiration, be sure to check out these other awesome scrap projects:

DIY Cake Carrier from wood scraps or DIY Keepsake Box from wood scraps

or DIY Framed Pumpkins:

Until next time, happy building! And happy fall, ya’ll! 🙂~Read more of Shara’s Projects~

August 23, 2017/1 Comment/by Shara M

arts and craft, Home Decor

Giant Citrus Fruit Decor

These giant citrus slices are a fun pop of color for any decor!

What could be more inviting on a hot summer day than a cool drink of lemonade or a cocktail mixed with lime? Bring the tastes of summer to your home decor with these giant citrus slices! This project is an easy way to use up those oddly-shaped wood scraps, and give a pop of color to your mantel or a drink stand!

I’m Vineta from The Handyman’s Daughter, and I’m back this month with this fun project that is perfect for your summer decor now that the patriotic holidays are over.

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Scrap wood at least 6″ x 12″ (Mine are made from 2 x 12 pieces I cut wrong when I built my hexagon side table. Oops!)
Jigsaw or scroll saw
Sander and sandpaper
Tack cloth
Flat craft brush
White, yellow and green craft paint

Optional: Silhouette cutting machine

Instructions:

Start by digging through your scrap pile for wider pieces that don’t have a lot of knots or dents. You can use 3/4″ plywood, 1x or 2x pieces (as long as they’re at least 6″ wide and 12″ long.) Give the face of the wood a good sanding.

Trace a large half circle onto your wood with a pencil. A dinner plate makes an excellent template. Trace a second circle inside the first, about a quarter of an inch away. This will be the rind of the slice.

If you have a Silhouette machine, you can use this cut file to cut out a template in the shape of the segments. If not, you can google citrus slice graphic and use one of those images as your template. Or create a similar template by cutting a rounded triangle out of paper and tracing it four times onto the scrap of wood. Don’t forget that little piece in the center that connects them together.

Use a jigsaw or scroll saw to cut out your slice shape.

Sand the sides and round over the edges with a sander.

Remove any dust from the surface with a tack cloth or damp rag.

Using a flat craft brush, start filling in the pith parts of the slice with white paint. (It will probably take two coats to get good coverage.)

Once the white paint is dry, fill in the segments and outside edge. The yellow lemon may need two coats.

But you might get away with only one coat for the lime green slice.

When everything is dry, they’re ready to display! These giant citrus slices are the perfect decoration next to the drinks at your summer barbecue.

They add a fun pop of color to any decor!

Want to add more summer fruit? You can find my tutorial for how to make watermelon decor over at The Handyman’s Daughter!

Until next time!

~ view more of Vineta’s projects ~

July 5, 2017/2 Comments/by Vineta Jackson

arts and craft, Build It

Toddler Animal Stools

Cute DIY Animal Toddler Stools | Pretty Handy Girl

What little toddler wouldn’t love these super Cute DIY Animal Toddler Stools? Are you ready to make this adorable project today? I hope so! They’re made from REAL wood! Scrap wood! Just those little wood cut offs hanging around your garage, so you can build these little stools for free. But, if you don’t have some scrap wood, you can easily make two stools for less than $10 and 30 minutes.

There is no pattern, because the charm is in the imperfections. Feel free to customize it any way you like. I designed a bunny and a fox, but you could easily use those round ears for a dog, the pointed ones for a cat, maybe even get a little crazy and try out some antlers for a deer? Or rounder ones for a squirrel. . . or bear. You get the picture. Change up the shape of the ears and get decorative with the paint and you’ve got an endless array of possibilities ahead of you!

Keep the ears large (each about 6½″ tall and 3½″ wide) to create a back rest. I don’t recommend allowing your children to lean back on them very far, because kids like to tip out of chairs.

Let’s Make these Cute DIY Animal Toddler Stools!

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

1″ x 10″ x 2′ pine or scrap plywood (I used leftover PureBond plywood since it’s formaldehyde free)
1″ x 2″ x 3′ (or you can cut down your scrap 1″ × 10″ to size for the legs)
Kreg jig
1 ¼″ pocket hole screws
Wood glue
Latex paint and/or stain

Instructions:

Step 1 – Cut out face and ears:

Cut a circle for the face and the ears out of the 1″ x 10″. The seat is an oblong shape, a little wider in the front. My stool seat is 11 1/4″ wide by 9″ deep. Draw one ear: 6.5″ tall and 3″ wide. I advise not making the ears too pointy or you’ll have to sand them down a lot for safety. Cut your shapes out with a jigsaw, then use the first cut ear to trace another ear for a perfect match.

You could make templates ahead of time if you like, but I like the charm in the irregularities.

Step 2 – Legs

Cut legs to 7″ long. Set the miter saw at a 5 degrees off square angle. Cut both ends, parallel (which means you don’t have to do any flipping, just cut your first angle, slide the leg down 7″, and cut your second). This gives the legs an outward splay so the stool is sturdier. The bunny stool (which was my prototype) has straight legs made from scrap 2×2’s, and they’re not as strong and sturdy as the angled, thinner legs. It’s still good, but the splay and thinner width is better.

Use the Kreg jig to drill pocket holes into the top inside edge of each leg. Add a bead of glue to the top of each leg. Secure the legs to the bottom of the seat with a 1 ¼″ screw.

Step 3 – Ears

Drill two pocket holes into the back of the ear shapes.

Attach each ear with a bead of wood glue and two 1 ¼″ screws. This should make for a sturdy back on the stool.

(NOTE: Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT have your ears come to a point like this. They are very sharp. Round them off slightly so they are not pointed. I’ve already poked myself in the shin passing by, and my daughter poked her cheek picking up the chair. Do yourself a favor and blunt those tips!)

Step 4 – Paint

Now to have some fun! For the bunny, I just used water with a bit of apple green RIT dye so the grain would show through. For the fox, I used a sample of Valspar paint I had on hand, Terra Cotta Red (also diluted with water) to act like a stain. After the stools dry, use untinted semi-gloss white paint and apply one coat for the ears and fox face. Also use white paint for bunny’s eyes and whiskers. (I kept it to one coat so it’s a bit streaky, because again, I like the charm.) Use some black paint for the fox’s face.

These stools are so stinkin’ cute, I want to make an adult sized version just for me!

The total height of these toddler stools are 14″, with a seat height of 7.5″. They are the perfect size for an 18 month old up to a four year old. Keep in mind, you can easily upsize them by adding leg height and increasing the seat width just a bit, as well as enlarging the ears. You can shrink it down the same way. It’s really a customizable piece with a lot of wiggle room.

I’m really excited to make even more! The bunny stool was a gift for a friend. My little one is already asking for a puppy chair to add to her lone fox. I’m hoping to make some for friends and family as I get scraps (because us DIYers always have some scrap lumber lying around, don’t we?)

I hope these cute toddler stools inspire you to make chairs for the munchkins in your lives. If you do, please share some pictures! I’d love to see all the fun animals and creations.

June 21, 2017/3 Comments/by Brooke KillerB

art, arts and craft

How to Quickly & Easily Frame Canvas Art

How to Quickly and Easily Frame Canvas Art | Pretty Handy Girl

Are you guilty of hanging canvas art with no frame? (Yup, my hand is raised.) There are no longer any excuses for this behavior once I show you How to Quickly & Easily Frame Canvas Art. If you want to remain frameless and oblivious, close your browser now. For the rest of us, behold how easy it is to frame canvas art! Ready to get framing?

We have a painting in our dining room that I love. It was created by my husband’s grandmother. I will always appreciate that I had the opportunity to meet her when she was still alive. She discovered she liked paining much later in life. Being an art major myself, we would frequently talk about art when we got together. At the time I was a tight brushstroke and detail oriented painter, but I longed to loosen up and paint more abstract paintings. For this reason, I cherish this painting she made. Of course, you probably wouldn’t realize it by its state of framelessness.

Gasp! Raw canvas edges. . . how could I leave it naked for so many years? In my defense, if you look at the painting straight on from across the room, you can’t see those edges. I know, that’s a lousy excuse.

Let’s go ahead and cover those raw edges and end my shame right now. I had some leftover Timberchic planks from my pantry project that I was able to use for this project. (Disclosure: I was provided with the Timberchic planks for free in exchange for mention in my pantry project.)

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Timberchic end caps (or 1/4″ x 1″ balsa wood)
Pencil
Ruler
Double-stick adhesive or brad nails (if not using Timberchic panels)
Brad nailer (if not using Timberchic panels)
Saw

Instructions:

If you are using Timberchic panels (or scrap 1/4″ material), measure the width of your canvas. Add about 1/8″ to the measurement.

Rip the panels to the desired width. (I used 1″ widths)

Line up one edge of your wood slat with the bottom of your canvas. Mark the other side of the canvas and cut the slat to size. Repeat for the top of the canvas.

Remove the adhesive backing and secure the slats to the top and bottom of the canvas. (Or use brad nails.)

Line up another slat against the side of your canvas. Mark to the edge of the previously secured slats.

Cut the side slats and secure to the sides of your canvas. (Use brad nails or adhesive tape.)

All done! Hang up your framed canvas proudly.

That looks much better.

To be truthful, the slats won’t line up perfectly if you use the adhesive tape. But, no one is looking that close.

When compared to the before. . .

. . . that after looks much more finished. Am I right?

Do you have any canvas artwork that needs a little finish framing? Can you think of anything easier than this method?

June 16, 2017/14 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

arts and craft, DIY, gifts

DIY Teacher Sign for End-of-Year Gift

This teacher sign is the perfect end-of-year gift!

Hi everyone! It’s Vineta from The Handyman’s Daughter back with another fun project to share with you! It’s almost the end of the school year, and I’ve been racking my brain to come up with a nice gift for my son’s second grade teacher. Hopefully this little wooden sign will make its way into her classroom next year and reminds her of how much she means to her students.

I used one of my favorite stencil techniques, on this family birthdate sign I created for Mother’s Day. The reverse stencil effect appears almost like magic when stain is applied!

We’re going to use the same technique for this DIY Teacher Sign. Here’s how it works!

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Scrap piece of plywood about 9″ x 12″
Stencil vinyl
Silhouette or Cricut machine
Wood glue
Gel wood stain
Sanding sponge
Small paint brush
Foam brush
Tack cloth
Iron-on edge banding and iron (or use wood trim to create a frame)

Instructions:

I started by digging through my wood pile for some scrap plywood and unearthed a 9″ x 12″ piece that would work perfectly. Remove any dust from the surface with a tack cloth.

You can choose from one of the many designs in the Silhouette Store (I used this one), or design your own. Apply the white stencil vinyl to the cutting mat and let the machine do the cutting.

Weed out the letters and shapes, then lay the transfer tape on top of the design. Use the smoothing tool to push out any air bubbles and ensure that the stencil is on securely.

Peel up the stencil and transfer tape together. Apply it to the plywood. Smooth out any air bubbles, then remove the transfer tape. The stencil should remain. Give the stencil one last rub, concentrating on the edges of the letters and shapes.

Here’s the trick to this stenciling technique: wood glue! Have you ever discovered a big blob of wood glue preventing stain from soaking into your project? We’re going to take advantage of that instead of fighting it!

Dip your craft brush into the wood glue and carefully paint a thin layer inside the stencil. Move from the outside in, and try not to get any glue under the stencil vinyl. Allow it to dry for at least half an hour and the wood glue has turned clear.

Carefully remove the stencil from the plywood. Some of the wood glue may flake off or stick to the letters. Use the fine grit sanding sponge to remove any excess. Anything with glue on it won’t take the stain, so make sure the edges are as sharp and clean as possible.

Using a foam brush, stain the surface of the sign. Gel stain works best for this technique.

After a few minutes, rub off the excess. I prefer to stick my gloved hand in an old sock to wipe off the surface. Like magic the letters pop against the dark stain!

If you prefer more contrast, apply a second coat of stain. I found that thicker fonts and dark stain show up best. Apply a coat of poly over the surface to protect the surface and give it a glossy finish.

Use iron-on wood veneer edge banding to cover up the plywood edges and cut off the excess with a utility knife. Brittany has a great tutorial on how to apply edge banding. You could also create a simple frame using trim.