Rustic It's Halloween Witches framed leaning porch sign + FREE SVG

Rustic It's Halloween Witches framed leaning porch sign + FREE SVG

Make your own vertical rustic farmhouse leaning porch sign for Halloween. Bonus: grab the It’s Halloween Witches FREE SVG in my free to use resource library

It’s Halloween Witches! YES! I can’t believe how amazing this painted sign turned out. It has all the gorgeous elements of farmhouse basics but a not so common (on a porch sign) Halloween saying…which makes me extra love it! I could have went with a basic cutesy saying like “boo” or “trick or treat” but I wanted my porch sign to have just a bit of sass to it! And it totally does and fits my family SO well. We are a bit sarcastic and sassy lol!

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And I kept the back of it blank, well I went ahead and painted it white, so I could make it a reversible fall leaning sign later on. I’m all about getting double use out of my décor. I’m a momma of 4, double sided or dual purpose décor is wonderful in my world. Less to store and less to change out when the seasons change.

I have actually had this piece of 1x10 pine hanging around forever! I stained it when I stained this round wood base for this last name sign a couple years ago and am just now getting around to creating on them. Life of a mom and entrepreneur! Here’s what it looked like before I smothered it in creativity. Just a blank stained piece of wood. You can’t see it in this pic but it had a ton of scratches and some gouges on it from being moved around so much in my craft room over the last couple of years.

If you don’t already have a Cricut I HIGHLY recommend getting one. I still create on my old Cricut Explore and create some pretty awesome projects to share with the world ;) Cricut newbie? Read this post on 10 supplies and accessories you need to get started with your cutting machine.

Side note… If you need the checkered rug that’s on my porch get this one. I looked for hours trying to find the exact one and this one is perfect. I don’t have OCD but I really specifically wanted one that had the same stripe on the top and bottom so that it looked even and this one was the only one I came across that that did in the size that I needed it.

How to make a rustic farmhouse leaning Halloween porch sign you will love

Here’s what you’ll need

• pine board, I used a stained 1x10x52 -sign

• 1x2x52 {x2} 1x2x10.75 {x2} -frame

• It’s Halloween Witches SVG , free in my resource library

• white paint, I used leftover wall paint from when we made this faux plank wall

• black and orange acrylic paint

• paint brush

• paint stands (trust me this will make painting a large board SO much easier!)

• oramask stencil film

• transfer tape

• xacto knife or sewing pin for picking the stencil

• vinyl squeegee

• stain- I used the color Kona

• stain rags

• gloves

• Cricut cutting machine

• Cricut 24” green cutting mat

• Cricut Design Space

• Ryobi miter saw

• Ryobi sander

• 120 grit orbit sandpaper

• Ryobi brad nailer

• lint free cloth

1.PAINT THE BASE

I chose to use a board that was already stained. This is not a must but I do like that the stain peaks through the sanded bits of my sign. I painted my wood sign with two coats of white wall paint. You can use acrylic paint too. I didn’t have white acrylic to use so I used the wall paint instead and it works just as great.

After my first coat was dry I applied a second coat of white paint then let that completely dry.

2. APPLY THE STENCIL

I cut my stencils out on my Cricut then weeded the letters out with a sewing pin. If you want to know how to make a reverse stencil sign be sure to check out this laundry sign tutorial.

Because this sign was so large I had to break it up into three separate pieces in Design Space.

I added masking tape to the sides and the seams where the stencils touch just in case I got paint a little too far outside of the stencil I wouldn’t have a big mess to clean up.

3.PAINT THE STENCIL

I used acrylic paint to paint the lettering of my stencil. The first thing I did was seal my stencil so that I would get minimal to no paint bleed. This isn’t a must but it does help to get super crisp lines.

I just painted of paint on the lettering. I painted IT’S and WITCHES with black acrylic paint and HALLOWEEN with orange acrylic paint.

4. PEEL UP THE STENCIL

I always peel up my stencils while my paint is wet. I started with the small lettering first then worked my way down the wood sign.

I used a sewing pin to lift out all the little middle pieces

If you love this tutorial be sure to check out how to make these super cute Halloween wood tags

5.CUT & STAIN THE FRAME

After my sign was dry I measured a 1x2 and cut pieces for my frame. Here’s what it looked like once I got my pieces cut and stained.

I had 2 pieces that were cut at 52” and 2 pieces that were cut at 10.75”.

Before I attached my framed pieces to my Halloween sign I distressed the 1x2’s with my sander and 120 grit sandpaper

7. ATTACH THE FRAME

I attached the two long side pieces first. I used a little bit of wood glue then used my Ryobi brad nailer to attach them to the sign.

Don’t worry if you miss cut your wood frame pieces. I do this ALL the time. Just use your miter saw to square it up after you get them attached.

Here’s what my sign looked like once I got the side frame pieces attached. I framed the sign so that the sign would be in the middle of the framed pieces instead of flush with the back. You can also see where I used my miter saw to cut off the uneven parts.

I did the same thing for the top and bottom pieces. Added the wood glue, my husband says to apply it in a squiggle line, idk if this is really how you’re supposed to do it or if he’s just messing with me lol but whatever it is this seems to work.

8.SEAL THE FINISHED SIGN

If you want to protect your sign from the elements I recommend sealing it with an outdoor sealant like this one. I did not do this step because I plan to paint a fall themed stencil on the other side of this Halloween porch sign. But after I finish the other side I’ll seal it with the outdoor spray.

Then you’re all done. I hope you enjoyed this DIY craft tutorial :)! If you have any questions please ask them in the comments below.

Happy crafting!

Plank wall on a budget

FAUX PLANKED WALL DIY USING PLYWOOD

Are you planning a new planked wall project? Want to know how to DIY A faux plank wall on a TIGHT budget? See how we spent less than $50 to plank a bedroom wall and learn what not to do so you don’t make the same mistakes we did our first time around.

Recently my husband and I bought a gorgeous old home that was built in the year 1900. Of course we got an inspection on it before we bought it to make sure it was sound and the house wasn’t in need of any major repairs before we made an offer. To our surprise it was totally sound! The house was mainly in need of cosmetic repairs and since we got such a great deal on it we snatched it up decided we could tackle those on our own one project at a time. Our first project being a room that had 6 DIFFERENT prints of wallpaper on the walls. Because the house is so old, 120 years to be exact at the time I’m writing this post, nothing in the house aligns perfectly. We love the house but it drives my construction worker husband absolutely bat shit crazy that nothing is even. He likes walls that are square and I love all that old character!

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See how I easily removed the old wallpaper using just my steamer

Once we started pulling off the wallpaper we realized the true reason why there was so much wallpaper and so many different prints. The wallpaper was just a band aid for the big cracks in the walls and it looked like they just put any scrap piece they could find to cover the walls. Honestly we expected the walls to be in rough shape because it’s such an old house but we weren’t expecting it to be that bad. Really we needed to replace all of the walls in the room with drywall but we were on a time crunch and opted instead to replace 2 walls completely for now and apply a bigger band aid than wallpaper to the other two walls. We thought making faux plank walls would be the perfect thing to use on the other two walls for right now.

Love freebies? Click HERE to get instant access to all of my free printables, SVG files, and more

One wall finish we chose was a faux plank wall. Working with a limited budget we knew we couldn’t opt for the premade planks you can buy at any home remodeling store or even this peel and stick wooden wall option. Instead we opted to buy a thin plywood and cut it ourselves.

We definitely made mistakes on this one but my hope is to share those with you so that you don’t make the same mistakes if you decide to do a faux plank wall too. Really it was because we didn’t fully prepare for this remodel. I honestly was just planning on taking off the wallpaper and before we knew it two walls were totally gone lol! So we had to finish what we started before my husband had to got out of town in two days for a job. Yeah…we were completely unprepared for this big project! But the good new is if we decide we want to change it later we can easily pop the planks off the wall and do something different.

Here’s how we made our affordable faux plank wall

First, I need to start off by saying this requires the use of power tools. If you are not comfortable with using power tools this project may not be for you. But it is a fairly simple project to tackle if you are just starting out using power tools. If you can cut a straight line and use a brad nailer you shouldn’t have too much trouble DIYing your own plank wood wall.

Like I said above we were working with a super short time frame. We had a weekend to get the bulk of this bedroom done and were working our butts off to meet that deadline. So we didn’t do things exactly perfect but at the end of the day we are overall happy with the outcome. And nothing is ever perfect so there’s that lol!

Here’s what we used to make our faux plank wall

• thin plywood, I believe we used 1/4” and purchased it from a local home improvement store

• circular saw

• miter saw

• jigsaw

• clamps

• brad nailer

• 2” brad nails

• pennies

• measuring tape

This is not the way it really should be done but to save time my husband stacked the plywood and cut them into strips that way. I wanted thicker planks so he cut them at 5” wide.

After he cut the strips I cut them down using my miter saw into smaller sections. I measured them anywhere from 6”-24” and looking back I would not have cut anything less than 12”. After I got them on the wall I realized the smaller ones just looked awful so I had to remove those sections and replace them.

Then I started attaching them to the wall starting from the bottom and working my way up. I used pennies as my spacers between my plank pieces. I have to say that worked out GREAT! You use the pennies just like you would any other spacer. Place them in between the wood planks so that you get the same even spacing between the planks.

I used my Ryobi brad nailer to nail the planks to the wall. We chose to use 2” brad nails so that it would hit the wood underneath from the lathe and plaster so they wouldn’t just fall off. And since the brad nails are not like a regular nail they come out of the wall easily if you decide you want to remove them later. This is also why we opted not to use any glue like I’ve seen on other tutorials. We didn’t want this to be a permanent fixture in the room, just a fun accent wall for now to cover the lather and plaster wall. Years down the road we will replace it with drywall but for now the faux plank wall is a perfect temporary fix.

Around the windows I had to cut custom pieces and I used my jigsaw for that. I am not a measuring kind of girl lol! It killed me to have to be exact with this and to use real measurements so that the pieces would come out right. Usually I eyeball my cuts and that’s that, it drives my husband nuts that I do this but it is what it is, I’m not a perfectionist lol!

Making our own faux plank wall saved us so much money! When we bought our plywood we paid $17 a sheet, a lot cheaper than any premade version. We bought 5 sheets total to redo 2 walls in this room and 5 plywood sheets covered it! Less than $100 to redo them. Granted we did have a lot more work to do but when you’re on a budget hard work is worth it to not have that extra money going out!

This was such a great option for us right now. It’s not as much work as drywall and definitely not as hideous as the wallpaper that had been on the walls. While it’s still technically a band aid it’s a much prettier band aid!

I hope this post helps you to DIY your own plank wall and learned what not to do with some of the mistakes we made DIYing our own plank wall.

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DIY mini wood house family number sign

DIY how to make a rustic wood house sign for your farmhouse style home decor

How to make mini wood houses from a 1x4. Stenciling a wood family number sign. DIY rustic farmhouse decorations to make at home, easy

Have you seen those adorable tiered tray signs on Pinterest? They are oh so tiny and oh so ADORABLE! They tie in perfectly with any rustic farmhouse style décor. If you have a miter saw you can make these little beauties at home.

If you don’t have a miter saw but still want to DIY these mini wood houses no worries! You can grab these precut unfinished wooden houses in my shop.

I used a scrap piece of 1x4 to make mine. Click here to read more of my SCRAP WOOD PROJECTS.

Affiliate Disclosure. Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means that I may earn a small commission if you click on the link or make a purchase using the link. If you make a purchase you will not be charged anything additional

Are you planning on making LOTS of signs using stencil film? You must read how I save TONS of money by buying my oramask stencil film this way.

Click here to grab your own rustic wooden mini house DIY CRAFT KIT

Make your own tiered tray mini house signs

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own mini rustic wood houses

• 1x4 or precut wood houses

• miter saw

• sander

• 120 grit sand paper

• Cricut cutting machine

• Cricut Design Space

• Green Cricut cutting mat

• oramask stencil film

• transfer tape

• vinyl squeegee

• white and black acrylic paint

• paint brush

• family number SVG

1. CUT OUT YOUR WOOD HOUSE

The first thing I did was to cut my wood house out of 1x4 scrap piece of pine. Well, my husband cut mine out because he was bored lol. He cut them using a 30 degree angle on the miter saw. Then cut them to the length you want. The one I’m making for this rustic craft tutorial measured approx. 4” in length. Then I sanded it down using my Ryobi orbit sander and 120 grit sandpaper.

2. CUT OUR YOUR STENCIL

I used my Cricut explore to cut out my stencil. I have yet to get a Cricut maker because my Explore is still going strong :)! I used a scrap piece of ORAMASK STENCIL FILM and this FAMILY NUMBER SIGN SVG. I’ve found that using an xacto knife to weed your designs works even better than traditional weeding tools. If you’re new to CRICUT be sure to check out these 10 supplies and accessories you need to get started with your Cricut.

3. PAINT YOUR WOOD HOUSE BASE

I chose to keep my mini wood house sign simple and paint it all white. I used acrylic paint and painted two coats for a decent coverage. Let completely dry.

4. STENCIL YOUR WOOD HOUSE

I stenciled a family number sign on my wood house and I love how cute it turned out. I applied my stencil using transfer tape and a vinyl squeegee. Then removed my transfer tape once it was properly adhered. If you don’t want any paint bleed be sure to seal your stencil. you can do this using the same paint as your background color. See how I also did this on a reverse stenciled sign to get crisp no paint bleed lines. Let dry.

5. PAINT YOUR STENCIL

I kept it safe and painted my family number stencil with black acrylic paint. I did one thin coat. Let dry completely. Then painted a second thin layer.

6. PEEL UP YOUR STENCIL

While your stencil paint is still wet use a sharp xacto knife OR sewing pin to peel up your stencil. Be careful not to guage the wood underneath. You want to carefully lift the stencil film up off the wood then grab it and peel away.

7. DISTRESS

If you like your sign without distressing then you are ready to display it once the lettering is dry. But if you’d like to add a little more rustic charm to it you can do so with your sander, after your lettering is dry of course. I use 120 grit sandpaper for pretty much all of my craft projects and it’s what I used to distress this mini wood house sign too. Focus around the edges and corners then lightly go over the front of the sign. I went a little crazy on my mini wood sign but I still like it. I think it just adds that much more character.

CLICK HERE TO GET INSTANT ACCESS TO ALL OF MY FREE SVG’S, PRINTABLES, AND MORE

Now you're ready to display it in your home. I hope you enjoyed this crafty tutorial. If you have any questions please ask them in the comments.

Happy Crafting!

DIY repurpose an old drawer into an American Flag

HOW TO REPURPOSE AN OLD DRAWER INTO AN AMERICAN FLAG

Before you pass up on the dusty old drawer that’s sitting on the side of the road you might want to think of all the amazing things you could turn that in to. Years ago my father in law had a huge old drawer sitting under his carport just collecting dirt and debris. I loved it! Even covered in gross beat-up contact paper I could still see the it’s potential of being something beautiful He told me I could take it home and then it sat in the basement collecting even more dust for years. Finally I pulled it out from the depths of the basement over the weekend and told myself I WOULD transform this old drawer this week!

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I really wanted to paint something American on it and after going back and forth in my own head I decided a simple flag would be perfect for this old drawer. I had thought about stenciling a big US map on it or even some lettering but with everything I already have on my plate I decided I should just keep it simple. Besides I don’t have a ton of vinyl and transfer tape to spare since I’m running low and shipments are taking a little longer than normal at the moment. With a little painters tape and a bit of vinyl I was on my way to making a simple rustic American flag.

Here’s what the old drawer looked like before I gave it a full facelift.

And this is what the old drawer looks like now. I definitely made a few mistakes but overall I’m loving how this rustic flag turned out.

If you are planning on doing a lot of stenciling on wood click here to read this post on how I save money on stenciling film.

How to make your own rustic flag

If you have an old drawer hanging around and collecting dust you can transform it into a rustic looking flag like I did with this one.

Here’s what you’ll need

• old drawer

• red, white, and blue paint

• paint brush

• painters tape

• masking tape

• chipbrush

• antiquing wax

• oramask stencil film

• transfer tape

• vinyl squeegee

• xacto knife

• sandpaper

• 50 stars Cricut cut file

• lint free cloth

Helpful tools

• Cricut cutting machine

• Cricut design space

• green cutting mat

• Ryobi sander

ONE-The first thing I had to do was sand it down. This drawer originally came with some gross contact paper attached to it. I had done the majority of taking all of that off when I first got the drawer. I removed the contact paper as much as I could then used the sander to help take off the rest. I started with 60 grit sandpaper on my handheld sander then worked my way up to 120 grit. the contact paper left behind some sticky residue but with a little elbow grease I was able to get all of it off. Then I used a lint free cloth and a vacuum to get off all the dust.

TWO- Using a dry brush I painted the inside of the drawer white. I used flat white indoor paint for this. When I brushed on the white base I made sure that all four sides didn’t get painted right up to the edge and I made the edges really uneven. I wanted it to look rough.

THREE- I measured out how big I wanted the blue area on my flag to be. I am not 100% happy with the size of this but it’s there to stay now lol! I taped that square off then started taping off my lines for my red and white stripes. I did this the same way I did this scrap wood 2x4 flag. I didn’t measure out my lines, mainly because I’m not a super precise person. I used the top edge of the drawer as my guide then taped off my stripes using wide painters tape. I did not make a true American flag though I only have 7 stripes total on mine.

FOUR- Once I had my stripes taped off I painted the exposed stripes red. Then let them dry and painted then with a second coat of red paint. I peeled my tape up while my paint was still wet.

FIVE- I stenciled the 50 stars on this rustic flag but did it a little differently than a typical stencil. I did what’s called a reverse stencil on this just like I did with this 4th of July leaning porch sign . I used my Cricut and Cricut design space to cut out 50 stars. You can get my free Cricut cut file here. Since my stars were wider than 11.5” I had to cut them out on two separate pieces of stencil material. But it wasn’t bad at all to piece them together. I did have a big OOPS moment when I weeded away a star. Thank goodness for an honest husband who told me it looked good other than missing a star! I was able to paint in the missing star before I had applied the wax, praise the Lord!

SIX- Using transfer tape I applied the star stencils to my flag then taped off the stripes. To cut down on paint bleed I sealed them with a thin layer of white paint. After that was dry I painted that part of my flag blue, let dry, then painted another layer of blue. While the paint was still wet I peel up the star stencils and the tape. I did have a little paint bleed but nothing too serious. This is when I added the last star that I missed :/.

SEVEN- I used my Ryobi sander to distress my rustic drawer flag. I used 120 grit sandpaper and lightly went over the entire flag then focused on random areas here and there. After I was happy with the distressing I wiped the sawdust off with a lint free cloth.

EIGHT- If you’ve read any of my other tutorials you probably know LOVE my antiquing wax. I use it for so many of my craft projects and of course used it for this one too. I used a chip brush and lightly applied the dark wax to my flag. If you’ve never used this stuff before please be aware that a little goes a LONG way. I usually dab the end of my brush into the lid then dab off on a cloth. Since I didn’t have a cloth handy for this DIY I used my apron.

I can’t wait to hang this rustic flag in our living room! We plan to keep it up year round and I know every time we look it we will think of fond memories of my father in la

I hope this post inspires you to give an old drawer a makeover! If you have any questions on this DIY or any of my other tutorials please feel free to ask away:)!

Happy Crafting!

Just starting out using your Cricut? See the top 10 supplies and accessories you need to get started.

DIY how to build a pallet style wood sign

We’ve all seen them, those gorgeous pallet style signs. The ones that are the spotlight of our rustic farmhouse dreams! Did you know there IS an easy way to make them? One that won’t break your back AND one that doesn’t break the bank. If you’ve been in any craft store in the last year you know what I’m talking about. Yes, prebuilt pallet signs are super convenient but they are expensive for what they are. Most are very thin and will break easily.

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Don’t get me wrong I LOVE drooling up and down the aisles of Michael’s of all the different crafts I can create but I also know that I can make a pallet style sign for a fraction of the price that it would cost to buy one from there. Granted I would have to do the work BUT it is actually SUPER easy to make one of those pallet style signs at home. If you have the tools you can make your own pallet wood blanks too.

After you read this tutorial check out these 6 MUST HAVES FOR STENCILNG WOOD SIGNS

Here’s one that I made using old fence wood. While I LOVE the look of this one this rustic looking wood can be really hard to come by so I don’t get to make these beautiful ooking signs often.

Here’s another version of a pallet style sign. For this one I used new wood and stained it in weathered gray. Then I distressed the edges and corners to give it a little character.

HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN PALLET STYLE WOODEN SIGNS

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• wood

• miter saw

• brad nailer

• brad nails

• sander

• sanding discs

• wood glue

CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW TO ATTACH A SAWTOOTH HANGER TO YOUR WOODEN SIGNS & DECOR

ONE- Figure out what type of wood you are going to use. I recommend you don’t use anything thicker than 1”. Anything thicker will be very heavy. For this tutorial I am using a 1x4.

TWO- Decide how big you would like your sign to be, width and length. Measure out your pieces and mark them.

THREE- Use your miter saw to cut the pieces to the width you would like. Don’t worry if they are a little off you can fix that once you have your pallet sign built.

FOUR- After you have your pieces cut lay them out fronts facing down. Wood will often have one side that’s “prettier” than the other so choose which side you want to put your design on and place that facing down on your workspace.

FIVE- Cut down two pieces of skinnier wood that are shorter than the length of your pallet sign, these will be your support pieces to place on the backside of your sign so it stays together. If I’m making a smaller sign I will usually use yard stakes for this but you can use a 1x2 if making a large sign. I just eyeball how long I want it to be and cut two to that length.

SIX- Put a little bit of wood glue on your support pieces then place them on the back side of your pallet, they will go in the opposite direction that your pallet boards are running. Use your nail gun to nail them in place. You can also use a hammer and nails it will just take a little bit longer.

SEVEN- If your pieces are uneven and you want them to be perfectly square you can do that with your miter saw. My ends are ALWAYS a little uneven. So I take them to my miter saw, line the shortest one up with my laser on my saw and cut off the extra on both ends.

EIGHT- Sand your new sign. I recommend an orbit sander and 120 grit sandpaper.

I hope you find this tutorial helpful. As with all of my DIY crafts if you have any questions please feel free to ask away.

If you want to hang your new beautiful handmade sign in your home read this easy and quick tutorial on how to attach a sawtooth hanger to wood signs.

Happy Crafting!

DIY 2x4 chunky wood flag

HOW TO MAKE A PRIMITIVE AMERICAN FLAG

I love a good scrap wood project. That was the inspiration behind this DIY chunky wood flag. I have shelves full of scrap pieces of wood in my workshop, aka my garage lol! I just can’t bring myself to toss out perfectly good pieces of future projects. I had been wanting to make one of these 2x4 flags for a while now and since we are all on lockdown I thought now would be the perfect time to make one and share the DIY with you all.

I didn’t just use a 2x4 to create this wooden flag. I also used a scrap piece of 2x6 that we have loads of leftover from a bunkbed project we made for our four daughters. And when I say we I really mean that my husband made because I pretty much just stood there and handed him things as he needed them.

If you don’t have all the tools to make this project happen grab your DIY CRAFT KIT HERE

Affiliate Disclosure. Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means that I may earn a small commission if you click on the link or make a purchase using the link. If you make a purchase you will not be charged anything additional.

Be sure to check out a few of my other 4th of July patriotic themed projects: RAG WREATH, LEANING PORCH SIGN, and this HANGING WOOD FLAG

MAKE YOUR OWN RUSTIC WOOD AMERICAN FLAG

Here’s what you’ll need

• 2x4x5.5

• 2x6x5

• red, white, and blue acrylic paint

• paint brushes

• sand paper

• masking tape

• 1.4” wide star cutout

• pencil

Helpful tools

• Cricut cutting machine

• Cricut Design Space

• Cricut cutting mat

• Ryobi miter saw

• Ryobi sander

ONE- If you didn’t grab a DIY craft kit the first thing you want to do is cut your wood pieces. Use your miter saw to cut the 2x4 to 5.5” and the 2x6 to 5”. You will place the 2x6 on it’s side so that it stands 5.5” tall. Use your sander to give them a quick sanding. I use a cordless Ryobi sander and really love it! Then wipe all the sawdust off with a lint free cloth.

TWO- Paint the 2x4 completely blue. You will have to wait for the front to dry before you can start painting the back. Since this is a dark color one coat should be enough but you can paint a second coat if you aren’t happy with the coverage.

THREE- Paint the 2x6 completely white. Wait for the front to dry before you paint the back. After all sides have dried you’ll want to paint a second coat of white paint to get a good coverage. Let dry.

FOUR- Take your cardstock star cutout and trace around it with a pencil in three places on the front side. I staggered mine because I like that look but you can place yours wherever you’d like. Try to trace lightly so that it’s easier to paint over. Using a small paint brush paint inside the star outline. A thin layer works best so you don’t have streaking. Paint a second layer once that layer is dry.

FIVE- After your white block is totally dry you can start painting on your stripes. To get even stripes you want to use masking tape. Be sure your block is standing at 5.5” tall before you start applying your tape. If you are using .75” masking tape you will want to start at the top and apply a piece of tape all the way around but apply your tape so that it hangs off the top slightly. This way you aren’t left with a super thin stripe on the bottom. This first piece of tape is called your spacer piece.

Then take another piece of tape and apply it directly below your spacer piece. Remove your spacer piece and then apply it directly below that second piece of tape. You will do this the whole way down your 2x6. This is what it should look like when you’re done.

SIX- This step isn’t 100% necessary but it does help with reducing paint bleed. Take your white paint brush and paint a super thin layer of paint where the tape and the wood meet, the seam. Let dry.

SEVEN- Where the wood is exposed paint that red. Let dry then paint a second coat. While the paint is still wet peel up all the tape. Let dry.

EIGHT- After your blocks are dry you’ll want to distress them. Take a piece of sandpaper, or your orbit sander, and distress both blocks. You want to focus on the edges and then lightly go over the front, back, and sides. When you’re finished distressing you want to wipe the dust off with a lint free cloth.

Enjoy your new American flag décor! Like with all of my DIY projects if you have any questions please feel free to ask.

Free standing wood stars using your Cricut

One thing I never thought I’d be doing is using my Cricut to help me cut out shapes and letters from pine boards. When I got my very first Cricut machine about a decade ago I always thought I’d just be using my new fancy cutting machine to cut paper and make decorations for my kid’s birthday parties. That’s was the case for the first few years. But now my Cricut craft horizon has been broadened and I’m using it for more than I could have dreamed!

Pairing this wonderful little machine of magic with my power tools has been a GAME CHANGER for my crafting abilities. And it can be for you too!

If you’re not totally comfortable using power tools I totally understand and know it’s a very real fear. I was in that same boat not that long ago and slowly was able to put that fear behind me. Here’s a list a power tools that I recommend all lady crafters get. I started off small, mastering the handheld sander, this thing can be SUPER intimidating, then worked my way up to being able to using all the power tools with no hesitation.

Affiliate Disclosure. Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means that I may earn a small commission if you click on the link or make a purchase using the link. If you make a purchase you will not be charged anything additional.

USE YOUR CRICUT TO HELP YOU CUT OUT WOOD PROJECTS

Here’s what I used:

• CRICUT EXPLORE

• CRICUT DESIGN SPACE

• CRICUT GREEN MAT

• CARDSTOCK

• PENCIL

• RYOBI SCROLL SAW

• RYOBI SANDER

The first thing I did was decide how big I wanted my wooden stars to be. I always have scraps of 1x6 boards so I decided 5.4” at the star’s widest would be a good size. I opened up my Cricut app on my computer and added a simple star from the shapes section.

I highlighted it and clicked on the width, since that had the biggest number, and changed it to 5.4”. I left the image locked so that it would be proportionate.

I set my image to cut. Added a piece of cardstock to my green mat and set my blade to light cardstock then hit cut. I also want to add that you can use an older machine like I’m using. I have yet to buy a Cricut Maker, even though I would LOVE to have one but my Cricut Explore is getting everything done for now.

After my cardstock template was cut out I used that to help me cut out the a wood star from a piece of pine.

I traced around the star using a pencil then used my Ryobi scroll saw to cut the shape. If you’ve never used a scroll saw it’s a lot like using a sewing machine. Don’t go too fast or you will not get as precise of a cut.

When I’m cutting out shapes that have lots of angles I don’t do one continuous cut. I cut till I get to an angle then back out. Then make another cut from the opposite side to meet at that angle point. This is just works for me, I know everyone is different so you'll have to find your own rhythm.

I hope you can use this new information to help you explore all the possibilities of what your Cricut can do. You can take it so much further than just card making and vinyl projects.

Like with all of my tutorials if you have any questions please ask away. I am happy to try and answer :)! Click here to check out how I finished my wood star cutouts.

DIY painted baby name and stats sign

DIY painted baby name sign with newborn stats

A couple weeks ago a sweet friend of mine from grade school messaged and asked me to help in creating a wreath she’s having made for her very first baby! Of course I said YES! I am just so happy for her as she’s waited a very long time to become a mom and was so honored she asked me to be apart of something she will be hanging in her precious daughter’s room. She sent me all the details she wanted for the sign part of the wreath and I recreated something similar personalized just for her little one.

Affiliate Disclosure. Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means that I may earn a small commission if you click on the link or make a purchase using the link. If you make a purchase you will not be charged anything additional. This is just a way I can help add to our family finances to raise our four daughters. Please know I would never recommend a product or service I do not totally stand behind.

I created my template in CRICUT DESIGN SPACE and of course used my Cricut to cut it out. By the way, I have an older style Cricut and still create AMAZING projects with it, although I’d love a Maker just to have one I don’t need one to make all the wonderful things I share on my crafty blog. I often see others get discouraged because they can’t afford the newest machine out there but you can find GREAT deals on older style machines and they do just as much as the newer models :)! If you’re just getting started using your Cricut read this list of 10 things you need to get you started on your Cricut crafting journey.

If you want a more in-depth teaching on SIGN PAINTING you need to get on my list for my DIY SIGN PAINTERS E-COURSE. Click here to get on the list so you’re first to know when it opens back up.

When you’re all finished up reading this tutorial and need help attaching hanging hardware be sure to read this post on how to easily and quickly attach a sawtooth hanger to wood signs

How to paint wood signs with no paint bleed

Here’s what you’ll need

• stencil film

• transfer tape

• pre-stained wood base

• white paint

• matte finish mod podge

• 2 paint brushes

• masking tape

• vinyl squeegee

Helpful tools

• CRICUT CUTTING MACHINE

• CRICUT DESIGN SPACE

• CRICUT CUTTING MAT

• XACTO KNIFE

• RYOBI MITER SAW

• RYOBI SANDER

For this tutorial I’m focusing on the painting techniques of making a personalized baby sign. CLICK HERE for my tutorial on how to stain wood.

ONE- Start with a pre-stained wood base. See my video on how to stain wood click here. Be sure you are allowing your stained base to dry for at least 24 hours prior to stenciling on it. Stencils will not adhere to a base that isn’t fully dry.

TWO- Apply your stencil. To do this you need transfer tape. Transfer tape allows us to take a stencil and apply it in one whole piece without a headache, we LOVE whoever invented this product! Place your transfer tape sticky side down onto your stencil. Gently push out any air bubbles on the front with your hands, then flip it ver and use your vinyl squeegee and rub the back of it. Slowly remove the paper backing leaving the stencil (blue part) and the clear transfer tape still intact.

THREE- Flip your stencil over and position it on your wood base. Once you are happy with the placement working from the middle of the stencil out press it down with your hands. Then use your vinyl squeegee and do the same thing.

FOUR- After you’ve pressed down your stencil you can remove your transfer tape. I’ve found the easiest way to do this is to roll your transfer tape off of your stencil. Start from one corner and slowly roll is off. You can reuse your transfer tape over and over again. I like to place my used transfer tape back on the roll I cut it off of and use it for the next project.

FIVE- If you have any gaps/air bubbles use an xacto knife to remove those. Use an xacto knife to make a small slit in the stencil film where the gap/air bubble is. This will make the stencil film lay flat.

SIX- Tape off any area that you don’t want to get paint on, like the sides of your stencil. It is a lot easier to take the time to tape this off than it is to try to clean off paint where you don’t want it.

SEVEN- Using MATTE FINISH MOD PODGE seal your stencil. You do this by taking a DRY paint brush, dipping it into a little bit of the mod podge, and brushing it in all directions on the exposed areas of your stencil. Be sure you are painting on a VERY THIN LAYER of mod podge. This step is KEY to the no paint bleed painted sign. The mod podge is filling in all of those tiny air bubbles that you can’t see. Let this dry, usually this takes just a couple of minutes.

EIGHT- I highly recommend using either flat or eggshell finish for your paint. Gloss paint tends to pull up when you remove the stencil. Using a different DRY paint brush paint on your first THIN layer of paint. You want to see the base color/wood grain through the paint.

NINE- After your first layer is completely dry you can paint on a second thin layer of paint. The first layer should dry VERY fast.

TEN- After you’re done painting on the second layer of paint on your stencil you can immediately pull up your stencil. I prefer to do this step while the paint is still wet. Use an xacto knife to remove all the small stencil pieces.

Let your sign dry then you’re ready to use it. I hope that you found this DIY SIGN PAINTING TUTORIAL helpful. If you did I’d LOVE to hear your feedback:)!! If you have any questions please feel free to ask.

DIY stenciled rustic fall signs

DIY painted fall signs. How to make your own farmhouse style signs for your fall themed decor. These painted tiny signs are so perfect for coffee bars, tiered trays and mantles. This trio of hello fall, give thanks, and a pumpkin are hand painted in orange, black and white, the classic fall colors. This tutorial will take you step by step on how to make your own stenciled wooden signs at home.

Don’t you just love painted mini signs?! HELLO FALL, GIVE THANKS, and a picture of a PUMPKIN just scream I LOVE FALL! I placed mine on a rustic old window frame that has candy corn burlap draped across it and OMG it looks adorable! These mini signs are also perfect for tiered trays and coffee bars. How cute would these be paired with some wood bead garland painted in fall colors?

Affiliate Disclosure. Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means that I may earn a small commission if you click on the link or make a purchase using the link. If you make a purchase you will not be charged anything additional.

If you plan to hang these mini fall wood signs be sure to check out my post on how to quickly and easily attach a sawtooth hanger to wooden signs.

How to make painted wood signs for fall

Here’s what you’ll need

• 3 prestained 5.5”x5.5” wood blanks

• hello fall, give thanks, pumpkin image SVG files

• oramask stencil film

• transfer tape

• paint brushes

• stenciling sponge

• orange, white, and black acrylic paint

• vinyl squeegee

• sandpaper

• xacto knife

Helpful tools

• Cricut cutting machine

• Cricut green mat

• Cricut Design Space

• Ryobi miter saw

• Ryobi sander

If you don’t have all the tools to completely make this fall craft from scratch you can order a DIY craft kit here. It comes with everything you need to make these wood signs at home.

ONE- the first thing you need to do is cut your wood into squares. I used a 1”x6” piece of pine, the actual size is 5.5” so I cut them into 5.5'“x5.5” squares. After you’ve cut and sanded your 5.5”x5.5” wood pieces stain them and let them dry for 24 hours. After they’ve dried sand around the edges, corners, and a light sanding on the front, be sure to wipe them down so you get all of the sawdust off of them. I LOVE my RYOBI CORDLESS SANDER , it is what I use for all of my wooden projects. But, if you don’t have a sander you can get the job done with 120 grit sand paper.

TWO- Cut your stencils out. If you want to use an SVG similar the ones in this tutorial you can go here to grab your SVG files. I’ve found that using true stencil film works best for stenciling wood signs. I highly recommend cutting the designs out on Oramask stencil film. I used a Cricut Explore to cut the files for this fall craft. I weeded them with an xacto knife once they were done cutting.

THREE- Now you can start painting! You want to paint each sign a different color. Start by painting a thin layer of paint on the front of each sign. You want to leave a small border around the edge. This should look kinda rough and uneven, it will give it lots of character when finished this way. Wait for the first layer to dry completely then paint a second THIN layer on top of that. I don’t recommend painting more than two layers of base paint. the more layers you have the more problems you will run into when peeling up your stencil.

Repeat this step for all 3 signs. Once they are all TOTALLY DRY you are ready for stenciling. They must be completely dry otherwise your stencil will not stick to the wood and it will be an ugly mess.

I don’t have pictures of how to do the next steps on the fall mini signs BUT I am sharing pictures of a similar craft that I made for winter themed signs. You can read the full winter themed tutorial here. Both sign trios have the same steps, the only differences are the stencils and paint colors, everything else is the same :)!

FOUR- Start by removing the paper backing from your stencil. This works best if you use a vinyl applicator {here’s what I use} or you can use a stiff store rewards card, I don’t recommend using your bank card as it could break during the process.

If you’re using your own stencils you’ll need transfer tape to transfer your stencil onto the wood in one piece.

Start by rubbing the front of the stencil with your vinyl applicator. Be sure you move in one direction.

Then flip it over and do the same to the back.

Now slowly peel the paper backing away from the stencil. This works best if you start at one corner and peel away at a sharp 90 degree angle. Go SLOW.

Before you start applying your stencils decided which stencil you will put on each board.

First, you’ll want to place your stencil where you want it on your board. I wanted mine to all be centered so that’s what I did but you can place them anywhere on the board you’d like. I just recommend keeping the image within the painted part of the wood.

Using your vinyl tool rub the stencil, using the same technique as before. Now SLOWLY peel the transfer tape {the clear sticky stuff} away from your stencil. I do this at a sharp angle and I will slowly roll it off of the stencil.

After you get the transfer tape off rub your finger along all the exposed stencil edges {anywhere there is wood showing thru}. this helps to get s good seal on your stencil.

FIVE- Now you’re ready to start painting your stencil! Use one end of your cosmetic sponge LIGHTLY dip it in the paint color you’d like your design. BE SURE TO USE VERY LITTLE PAINT, this is key to getting little to no paint bleed under your stencil. Dab the sponge on a paper towel a couple times then onto your stencil, do this till you have a very THIN even coat {you should be able to see thru the first coat}. LET DRY, repeat till you are happy with the coverage.

SIX- After you’re finished sponging the stencil you can peel it up immediately. I know all tutorials can vary with peeling the stencil up while the paint is still wet or waiting for it to dry. I have had the best luck peeling the stencil while the paint is still wet. Use an xacto knife or sewing pin to aid in this step.

As with all of my DIY tutorials if you have any questions please ask in the comments below:)

Easy scrap wood pumpkins using a RYOBI scroll saw

How to cut out pumpkins from scrap pieces using your RYOBI scroll saw

Are you like me and have a TON of scrap wood on the wood pile? I seriously have a hard time tossing perfectly good scrap pieces. You just never know when a piece will come in handy. But I also know my crafty business is hitting it’s busiest season of the year and there’s no way I can hang on to all of those scrap pieces if I want a functioning wood working space. So I needed to find something to do with them.

I decided to make these adorable free standing wood pumpkin cutouts. They turned out even cuter than I imagined they would! So much that I added them to my DIY CRAFT KITS and they have been selling like crazy!

Affiliate Disclosure. Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means that I may earn a small commission if you click on the link or make a purchase using the link. If you make a purchase you will not be charged anything additional.

How to use your Cricut and Ryobi scroll saw to make free standing wood pumpkins

Here’s what you need

• Scrap wood

• Pencil

• Ryobi scroll saw

• Ryobi Orbit Sander

• Cricut

• Hook & Loop sandpaper {I just used 120 grit}

• Cardstock
  

If you’re not in the reading mood skip to the bottom to catch the video tutorial ;)

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First you want to cut out your pumpkins on cardstock. You can free hand them on your scrap wood pieces but honestly getting the sides even isn’t really a strong suit of mine lol. I used some scrap pieces of cardstock I had on hand to cut these out on.

After you cut your templates out trace them on your scrap pieces.

Next, making sure you are following the manufactures instructions, cut out the pumpkins you just traced using your scroll saw. If you’ve never used a scroll saw before this is a pretty easy project to start get some practice with. It’s a lot like using a sew machine. Just remember to go slow and the more you do it the better you will get at it.

After you have your scrap pumpkins cut out you’ll want to give them a light sanding. Try not to sand the bottoms too much as you don’t want the surface to get uneven so they won’t be able to stand.

After you have them sanded you can stain, paint, or decorate them however you want to match them to your décor.

These little guys are perfect for

• your own décor

• gift giving

• Thanksgiving Day hostess present

• ladies craft night

• mom and me craft {my four daughters and I painted these on a facebook live and they turned out adorable!}

• so much more

The possibilities are endless on how you can decorate these hand cut wood pumpkins.

Check out the VIDEO tutorial below.

Don’t forget to visit my YouTube channel and subscribe there so you never miss when I upload a new one.

Confused about what power tools to buy to make even more amazing crafts? This is a must read especially if you’re planning on starting a new business adventure with your handmade crafts click here ——-> WHAT ARE THE BEST POWER TOOLS FOR CRAFTERS?

What are the best power tools for crafters?

Power tools for the crafty girl

I haven’t always been super comfortable with power tools. In fact I didn’t use a miter saw with confidence till I was in my 30’s {which is crazy because I grew up with a grandma who most definitely knew her way around lots of heavy duty power tools that she had for her own crafty business}! My husband would do all the cutting because I was so afraid I was going to have a freak accident and cut my entire body in half…I know it sounds completely ridiculous but it was a very real fear that I had.

The problem was, other than my way over thought fear, was that my husband used to work out of town a lot and obviously couldn’t cut anything while he was gone. Our handmade online business was picking up major steam so, eventually I did get over my fear and I’m so glad I did because I was missing out on so much. Being able to cut anything to any size at any time has been a game changer for me and our family’s business.

Instead of going with the same brand of tools my husband has I chose a more budget friendly, less intimidating brand, RYOBI. I couldn’t be happier with this decision.

Affiliate Disclosure. Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means that I may earn a small commission if you click on the link or make a purchase using the link. If you make a purchase you will not be charged anything additional. This is just a way I can help add to our family finances to raise our four daughters. Please know I would never recommend a product or service I do not totally stand behind.

So what power tools does a crafter need?

Here are the basic power tools I started out with

Miter Saw

I really LOVE this saw! If you plan on cutting anything wider than 7” then you absolutely need a 12” SLIDING miter saw. This saw also has a laser on it making it really easy to line up your cuts. My husband’s miter does not have a sliding arm and I can not tell you enough what a pain in the butt it was to have to flip all the boards that were over 7” because the blade wasn’t wide enough to cut through the entire width of the board.

CORDLESS SANDER

Another must have is a sander. I have used both the corder and the cordless and I prefer the cordless by far. Granted to have to keep batteries charged but you also aren’t confined to sanding near a power outlet. There are lots of times when I just need to sand a quick spot where I’ve made a mistake or I just need a quick distressing and it’s just so much easier to not have to mess with a cord.

CORDLESS DRILL

This is your basic drill but it is mighty. I use this almost daily and it has yet to disappoint me.

• BRAD NAILER

If you plan on using a nail and hammer to attach anything then you might as well save yourself some time and energy and pick up one of these. I use this tool a lot in my business. Actually, more than I thought I would. You can adjust the depth of which the nails shoot in and change up the size of brads you use.

• REPLACEMENT BATTERIES

  Replacement batteries are a must. I have 3 that I rotate and I really need more. Although they are a little pricey you’ll be glad you have at least 2. My husband had to convince me to get additional batteries because he knew how annoyed I’d be the first time I had to wait for the only battery I had to recharge. He was right lol! So thankful I have more than one battery.

So those are the basics. As you get more comfortable using these power tools you’ll probably want to add even more to your list like a scroll saw or this trim router.

I hope this list helps you to decide which power tools is the best fit for you.

DIY stenciled beYOUtiful pallet style wood sign

HOW TO REVERSE STENCIL A WOOD SIGN

Being a mom of four little girls isn’t always easy. It’s definitely not constant tea parties and princess power all day every day like some think. It’s a ball of emotions, an unspoken comparison of one another, living in a world that constantly judges them for not being identical. People think that because you have a sister you should be so much alike. Your looks, your personality, the way you learn. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. But honestly our girls have shed some tears over this and it breaks my heart. I try to remind them daily that they are unique and one of a kind amazing humans. One way I try to promote self positivity with our girls is through our home décor.

I had this quote “ be YOU tiful” on our wall right by our front door for years. It was just a quick decal I made up using removable vinyl and after I put it up I was instantly under impressed by it. But I left it up because I wanted our girls to see that message every day when they walked out the door. To remind them that they are them, there is no one else in the world that could ever take their place. That God put them here to be them. Three years passed and I decided it needed to come down and I was going to make a much prettier version, a happier version, one that they will look at and rays of beauty will flow from it.

Click this link to buy your own handmade beYOUtiful sign on my Etsy shop

Affiliate Disclosure. Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means that I may earn a small commission if you click on the link or make a purchase using the link. If you make a purchase you will not be charged anything additional.

I had everything I needed on hand to make this but I’ve included the links where you can get some of these supplies. Yes, those are affiliate links but not to worry, you will not be charged anything extra if you make a purchase through them. They are just a way for this stay at home momma to help with the daily bills of raising our four little girls :)!

Here’s what you’ll need

• Prestained board. I used one I already had on hand {this one was an oops from an order}

• paint, I used the color lilac

• paint brush

• stencil

• Cricut design space

• cricut cutting machine

• RYOBI Sander
  

• paper floral accents ———> see how I made these hand cut paper flowers

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First you want to come up with your design. I use Cricut Design Space for this. My computer wasn’t cooperating so I opened the saved file from the app on my phone and blue toothed my machine and phone together so I could cut it wirelessly {technology has come a long way since growing up in the 80’s and 90’s!}.

Fun note, I actually made this design for our third daughter’s talent show outfit. She was singing Scars to Your Beautiful by Alessia Cara which is an amazing song that tells girls to love all their flaws and imperfections, those are apart of their own beautiful.

If you’re thinking about getting a Cricut I recommend the Explore, click this link to read more about CRICUT EXPLORE AIR 2 {the difference between the explore and the air is that the explore does not have bluetooth built in so you have to buy this bluetooth cricut adapter, but the air’s have bluetooth already built in so you don’t have to purchase anything extra for it.} but any cutting machine you have that you’re comfortable using will work.

Follow this link to my YouTube channel for tips on how to stain a wood sign

Apply your stencil to a dry prestained board.

Then paint your board with whatever color you’d like. I wanted a big contrast between the stained wood and the paint color so that the stain would really pop. So I used LILAC colored paint. It’s not too pink/purple but it’s not white, our walls are white so I didn’t want to hang a white sign on the white wall. This color is perfectly shabby chic! See my YouTube video for a full tutorial on how to do this, how to stencil a stained wood sign.

After I stenciled my board and it was totally dry I added these adorable hand cut paper flowers. These little guys are so super easy to make! See my how to make hand cut paper flower tutorial for a step by step guide.

If you’ve been wanting to learn even more pro tips on how to make and paint wood signs be sure to get on my waiting list for my Learn How to Paint Wood Signs, all the tips the pro’s won’t tell you.

DIY 4X4 Wood Firecrackers

Affiliate Disclosure. Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means that I may earn a small commission if you click on the link or make a purchase using the link. If you make a purchase you will not be charged anything additional.

I am a sucker for a quick and easy simple crafts! These kind of projects give you an instant satisfactions because you don’t need to wait days for them to cure and you can even get the kiddos involved in the creative process because honestly there’s not a whole lot they can mess up with these little guys.

This project does require the use of some power tools but if you don’t have them handy you can purchase an easy craft kit from our studio. We do all the cutting, pre-sanding, drilling, and include all the materials PLUS printed of instructions on how to make them at home so you don’t have to come back to this page while your hands are covered in paint.

Here’s what you’ll need if you’re making yours totally from scratch…

• 4x4 wood blocks cut approx. to lengths of 4, 5.5, & 7 {you can pick this up at your local hardware store}

• twine

• 3 paint brushes

• acrylic paint in RED, BLUE, WHITE

• antiquing wax

• RYOBI cordless sander or sandpaper

• RYOBI miter saw

• RYOBI drill

• RYOBI drill bit

• baler wire {you can pick this up at your local farm store}

• wire cutters

• glue gun

If you prefer to order online I’ve attached Amazon links to most of the supplies above. You can purchase most of the supplies at your local Walmart and home improvement stores.

First you need to cut your 4x4 down to 4, 5.5, and 7 inch lengths. Some home improvement stores will do this for you but usually their blades are very dull and will splinter your wood badly. For this project the splinters would add a ton of character but I wouldn’t depend on this being an option for most of your other DIY projects.

My husband got me my own saw last year and I am LOVING it! Granted it was more money than I wanted to spend but it has been one of the best investments we’ve made in our business. Ryobi makes a really great line of tools, especially if you’re just using them to make projects for your home or running your own creative craft business like I do. This particular saw is great because it is a slider. It can cut anything from 1/2” pieces all the way up to 12” wide {and probably a little wider but I only cut up to 12”}.

After your pieces are cut you need to give them a quick sanding. Again, I use my trusty Ryobi tools for the job. I typically use 120 grit sandpaper for most of my projects. This is a good in the middle grit. If you want to get crazy you can sand with all the way thru the different grits but I don’t usually do this…I’m a busy momma of four 120 works perfect, lol!

After you have your pieces sanded be sure to wipe off all the saw dust. You don’t want this on the wood when you start painting.

Depending on the size wire you get will depend on the size drill bit you’ll need. Drill a hole in just the top of each piece of wood. I drilled mine about 1/2” deep.

Paint each of your blocks a different color. You’ll need one red, one white, one blue. I did two coats on mine. This is a good time to get the kiddos involved. They really can’t mess these little guys up. Be sure to let the paint dry COMPLETELY between coats. If you don’t your paint will likely pull away from the wood as you apply it on top of wet paint.

After both coats are dried you want to give your blocks a light sanding. Focus on the edges and the corners.

Using your chipbrush apply a light layer of the antiquing wax to the areas you sanded. You can do this as heavy or as light as you like. Remember a little bit goes a long way and you can always add more if you want to.

Now add a little hot glue to the end of the wire and quickly stick it down in the hole you drilled. Once they are dry and in place you can twist them if you’d like.

Wrap the middle of each wood block in twine and you’re done! Super easy!

I hope you found this craft as fun as I did! Enjoy your Fourth of July!

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DIY simple rustic wooden Christmas presents, how to make your own

DIY FAUX WOOD CHRISTMAS PRESENTS

I’m a busy wife, momma, and business owner so naturally I LOVE a good craft that I can whip out really fast and that makes the heads turn. These little guys are just the perfect DIY for the job!

In our studio I try to reuse the same base sizes over and over again. This makes for a smooth operation. I try to create pieces from the basic bases we have on hand at the shop. When I stumbled across something similar on Pinterest I had to make my own version of these adorable faux presents.

I know not everyone has the resources or expensive tools to make all their crafty dreams happen so I’ve put together CRAFT KITS for our most popular DIY’s. You can pick up our FAUX PRESENT KIT HERE

If you wanna start from scratch here’s what you’ll need:

• 4”x4” wood cut into these sized lengths, 3.5”, 5.5” & 7”

• burlap

• 3 sponge brushes

• white, red, & green acrylic paint

• dark wax

• chip brush

• 120 grit sandpaper or palm sander {I used my Ryobi Cordless sander for this step but sandpaper will work great too}

These are SO super simple, once you do one set you’ll be making them for everyone for Christmas! So let’s get started.

First, you want to be sure all your pieces are sanded to knock any splintery ends. If you purchased our CRAFT KIT you do not need to do this step as it’s already been done for you:)!

Next, you want to paint each block a different color. I did two coats on mine. Be sure you wait till the first coat is TOTALLY DRY before applying the second coat. If you don’t, applying wet paint on top of wet paint tends to pull up the layer underneath.

Can we just take a minute and adore this girl! Isn’t my little helper so stinking CUTE! She’s always up for being my little crafting model Ok, back to the tutorial…

Once your paint is dry and you are happy with the coverage you’ll need to sand on the edges and the corners of your blocks. Take your 120 grit sand paper and go over the areas that would be naturally worn. You don’t have to use 120, that’s just my go to grit. Any grit of sandpaper will work, just go slow at first to see how much pressure you need to apply. I used my RYOBI cordless sander for this step.

Next you want to apply the dark wax to your blocks. If you’ve never worked with dark wax before you might want to test it out on a piece of paper first. A little wax goes a long way.

Take your chip brush and barely dip your bristles in, dab off onto a piece of paper or paper towel. Just like you did when sanding, focus on applying the wax to the areas that would be naturally worn. You’ll want to apply to the corners, edges, then do a light quick swipe on all the sides. This will give it a real natural rustic finish. The wax gets into all those uneven areas, much like how dirt would, and make it look old.

After you have your wax applied to all of your block the last step is to add your burlap “bow”. I picked up a roll of looser knit burlap at my local Walmart but any burlap will work. Fun fact, the looser the knit the easier it will unravel when cut. I cut my burlap into 2” wide strips and measured their length so they stuck up 3”-4” above the blocks like shown below. Now tie those two pieces in a knot. You’ll do the same on the last two blocks. And you’re done! Literally can’t get any easier.

Place them beside your tree, on your kitchen counter, or your mantle and admire them all Christmas season!

These little guys make such great gifts, a fun craft night with the family, or crack open a couple bottles of your fave wine with your fave girlfriends and make it a moms night in Pinterest party!

I hope you love this DIY! If you did I’d love to hear your feedback…even better, I’d LOVE to see pics of your finished faux presents.

DIY 2x4 rustic wood pumpkin blocks

DIY how to make 2x4 wood pumpkins

These little wooden pumpkins are just as cute as can be! I LOVE them! What I love even more is how effortless they are to create. You can knock a set out in less than an hour. Seriously, an hour of your time and you have some ridiculously cute mini pumpkins to add to your rustic fall décor!

These little guys are so simple you can even get the kiddos involved! Make a whole family craft night out of it, they will LOVE it and you’ll remember that night every year you put them out.

To make it even easier I’ve put together this DIY MINI PUMPKIN CRAFT KIT. Everything you need to make these at home delivered right to your door!

If you don’t buy our easy peasy craft kit here’s what you’ll need…

• 2x4 cut into sizes 3.5”, 4.5”, 6” {we use our RYOBI miter saw to cut all of our pieces}

• 1/2” wide wooden dowel cut into 3 2” pieces {you can find these at your local hardware store}

• sand paper {we use our cordless RYOBI sander for all of our projects}

• sponge brushes

• masking tape

• orange, brown, & white acrylic paint

• raffia

• rusty wire {you can find this at a local farm store}

• glue {we use a glue gun for our projects at the shop but we include this super strong glue in this craft kit}

• dark wax

• chip brush

Helpful tools

• wire cutters

• pliers

• glue gun/glue sticks

• scissors

• drill

• 1/2” drill bit

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Check out this other fun fall craft, DIY mini mum planters for your front porch.

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Let’s get started!

Step 1

Cut all the pieces for your pumpkins and stems {dowel rod}. After you do that give them a quick sanding to knock down all the pokey edges from being cut. Next drill a 1/2” hole in the top of each pumpkin {this will be where you put the stem dowel rod, you only need it about 1/2” deep}. Be sure to wipe off all the saw dust.

Now for the fun!

Paint all of your pumpkins your base color. For mine I painted all of the pumpkins orange. Be sure to apply a super thing coat, you should be able to see the wood grain through the paint. Once that dries apply a second coat, if desired wait for that coat to dry and apply a 3rd. I almost never do 3 coats.

Step 2

Now for the accents{I used white for my accent color}!

For mine I left one pumpkin plain, added dots to one, and stripes to another.

The dots are SUPER EASY! Literally take the end of you sponge brush and dip it in the accent color. Then dot it on the pumpkin you want to have dots. You can practice on a scrap piece of paper before going full force on your pumpkin. I just randomly dot around till I’m happy with the look. I do this all the way around the pumpkin.

Add some stripes. Using your masking tape off the areas you want to KEEP your base color. I did two stripes of white on my pumpkins. Pro tip…to keep the paint bleed down, never brush your paint into the tape, always brush away. Brushing it to the tape will force the paint under the tape and cause your paint to bleed. You don’t need to wait for the paint to dry to peel off the tape.

Step 3

Once your blocks are dry you can distress with sandpaper. Focus on the edges, corners, and do a light sanding to the face of the pumpkins. When you are done distressing with sandpaper, brush all the dust off with a cloth.

Step 4

Give them a little more character with dark wax! I absolutely LOVE this stuff!

It takes VERY LITTLE WAX to achieve this look. Barely dip the very tip of the chip brush into the wax, and dab off onto a paper towel. If you get too much wax on your blocks they will look mudding instead of antiqued. Now brush the wax onto the corners and edges, dabbing to get more wax when you need more on your brush.

Then lightly brush over the face in both vertical and horizontal directions. This will give it an even more antiqued look.

Step 5

Paint your stem, let it dry, and glue the stem in place with a good amount of glue. Let dry completely {f you have a glue gun you can use that for this step instead}.

After your glue has dried you are ready to adorn with the raffia and wire embellishments. To get the wire curled, simply wrap around the end of one of your sponge brushes.

Then take the wire and tie it around your stem.

Step 6

Then gather a few strands of raffia and tie in a bow around the stem and wire. Trim if you desire.

Check out more fall & Halloween posts below

DIY wall sconce using 1x4's

How to make a pallet style wall sconce

I've always had a LOVE for the farmhouse style...even before it was a thing...so I am so excited that others are appreciating the simple and rustic look!  I've never been one to got out and spend a ton of money to redecorate, I was raised to use what you have or get creative and make something from things you have on hand or need to buy little supplies for {which is what lit our flame for our business}. 

I've had my eye on these mason jar holders for awhile now...almost 2 years! And I finally made time to create my very own. I knew they would be super easy but seriously I am kicking myself for not making them sooner. One of the easiest and quickest DIY's I've done in awhile. In less than an hour you can have your own set of hanging pallet mason jar holders too!

Affiliate Disclosure. Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means that I may earn a small commission if you click on the link or make a purchase using the link. If you make a purchase you will not be charged anything additional. This is just a way I can help add to our family finances to raise our four daughters. Please know I would never recommend a product or service I do not totally stand behind.

If you like this pallet style décor check out my hanging flag wall décor diy tutorial.

Materials you'll need to make 1 PALLET STYLE WALL SCONCE

• 1X4X8

• Ryobi Miter Saw

• RYOBI Sander

• Ryobi Brad Nailer

• 1 1/4" brad nails

• Gorilla Glue Wood Glue

• 120 grit sandpaper

• 2 lint free rags

• Rustoleum Stain

• Large cup hook

• Pint sized mason jar

• mason jar hanger

STEP 1

Cut your 1x4x8 into 5 pieces.

3- 1x4x18

2- 1x4x10.5

{If you're making a set you will need to cut double the pieces}

STEP 2

Give al the pieces a quick sanding to knock down all the unclean edges. This will make applying the stain MUCH easier.

STEP 3

Stain your pieces. If you are painting them you can wait to do this till you have put your pieces together.

-I highly recommend Rustoleum stain especially this weathered gray I used on this piece.

STEP 4

I recommend sanding your pieces before you attach them together. You can use a sanding block or regular 120 grit sand paper but I prefer to use my Ryobi cordless sander. It's quick and does a GREAT job! Be sure to wipe your boards down with a lint free rag after sanding to get all the sawdust off.

STEP 5

Place your 18" pieces evenly in a row. Be sure you are happy with their placement.

STEP 6

Once you have your boards laid out how you like them take the 10.5" boards and run a bead of Gorilla Wood Glue down one of the sides. You will place it glue side down onto your 18" boards width wide {so you will have a 10.5" board going along the top and another 10.5" board going along the bottom}.

STEP 7

Now you will use your Ryobi Brad Nailer to nail them in place. This will give them the stability to last for years to come

If you don't have a brad nailer you can use a hammer and nail. It won't be as quick but it will get the job done. 

STEP 8

 Add a cup hook to the top middle of your board. To make it easy you might want to drill a small pilot hole to get it started. Be sure it's under the 10.5" piece, hang your mason jar and you're done!

It may seem like a lot of steps but I assure you this is an EASY PEASY project to give your décor some sprucing up!

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