Snowman made with Birch Logs

This is so cute and rustic! 

Great way to add some winter decor to your home!

Materials:

• Birch Logs, 1 large, 1 medium, 2 small, and 1 slice. 
• 1 Wood dowel (1/4 inch)
• Drill with a bit slightly bigger than your dowel
• Wood Glue
• Fabric for a scarf and bow ( I used Flannel)
• Acrylic Paint
• Craft Glue or Hot Glue
• 2-3 Small Black Buttons

Directions:

1. Get your logs cut and sand them if needed. If you find a small one with a branch piece sticking out you can use it for the nose. 
2. Drill a hole half way through the center of your largest log. Drill a hole, in the center, all the way through the medium log, 1 small log, and the slice. Drill a hole half way through the last small log. 
3. Now put the dowel through and stack your logs large, medium, small, slice, and small. Add wood glue in the drilled holes if you would like it to be sturdy. You may need to cut down your dowel to make it the right length. 
4. Paint on a snowman face. I just did the the eyes because I had a branch piece for the nose and didn't want to add a mouth. If you do not have a branch sticking out just paint on a carrot nose. Make it the way you want!
5. Use your fabric to make a scarf and a small bow for the hat.
6. Glue on your bow for the hat and the buttons. 
7. Now you are done and have a cute little snowman to decorate with or even give as a gift!

DIY Wood Trees

These wood trees are so cute and easy to make. 

Perfect for some holiday decor!

Materials:

• 1x2 furring strip boards
• Saw
• Small nails and hammer or a nail gun
• Acrylic paint

Directions:

1. Start with cutting your boards. These don't need to be any specific size, you can make them and small or large as you want. I start with the center tall board. My trees are about 18 inches tall.
2. Next cut the branch pieces. The top one at 3 inches, and then add 1 inch to the next one each time going down (3in, 4in, 5in...). For the base I cut 4 boards, 5 inches long. 
3. Now you can nail your tree together. Start by nailing the base piece on, like shown in the image below. Next add the branch pieces on the center tall board, hang the base over the end of your table space so the boards lay flat. Be careful!
4. Now that you have your tree put together you can add some paint to the front side if you would like. Another option would be to stain the entire tree a dark brown or even leave it natural. 
5. Now you can place your trees in your home or outside for some cute decor. I like to put mine on my upper cabinets in my kitchen. To add a little holiday cheer you could add some small lights or mini ornaments to your tree. If you decide you want to put your outside, it would be best to seal the wood and paint. 

Easy Rustic Movie Poster Frame

We have a movie theater theme in out living room but wanted to keep the rustic theme going in our house. So we made rustic frames for our movie theater.

Materials:

• Pine wood 1x4
• Stain or Clear Coat
• Tape Measure
• Saw
• Wood Glue
• Nails and a nail gun
• Hanging Hardware
• Movie Poster
• Tape

Directions:

1. Measure the height and width of your poster. 
2. Measure out the length of your boards to fit your poster. Make sure you have them long enough that your don't cover a lot of the poster but short enough that you will be able to cover a bit of the edge with the frame. 
3. Double check your measurements and then cut your boards. 
4. Glue and nail together each board to create the frame. 
5. Let the glue dry and then stain or clear coat the wood. 
6. Attach the hanging hardware to the back of the frame. 
7. After the frame is complete simply tape the corners and a couple edges of the poster to the frame. 
8. Hang up your poster and then enjoy your movie and popcorn!

Shutter Flag

I love when I get to restore items that once had true quality and craftsmanship.  These shutters where being tossed out after being removed during a renovation.  I see things for what they can be, not what they are.

To begin..

• First find some old shutters (I love to garage sale or go to second hand construction stores, they have a wide variety)
• Sand down and remove any defects you find
• Prep a surface to paint the base coat, I used white for this flag project
• Stencil in a star or hand draw into a section of lathe to represent the square
• Now paint the blue square at the top around the stencil star
• Find the horizontal lathe and paint two at a time red (resembling the stripes on the American Flag!)
• I used a Gloss paint to have a high resistance but if you choose a more subtle finish you may need to clear coat over to seal in the paint
• Find a spot indoors or outdoors to show off your American Pride.

DIY Pop Bottle Vase

This is a cute way to use those old glass pop bottles. I used the pick a pop bottles but you could use coke, 7 up, or any other classic glass pop bottle.

Materials:

• 1x4 Pine Board
• Miter Saw
• Drill
• Drill Bits
• Spade Drill Bit
• Air Nailer & Nails
• Wood Glue
• Tape Measure
• Pencil
• Sandpaper
• Clear Coat Polyurethane 
• Glass Pop Bottles
• Flowers and Water

Directions:

1. Make sure you have all of your materials ready. 
2. Measure out how long you will need each board based on the number and height of your bottles. Mark your cutting lines.
3. Cut your boards to the correct lengths. We cut ours to put them together at an angle. 
4. Hold the boards together to make sure they fit together and are all the correct length. 
5. For your top board where the bottle will come through, measure out and mark where you need to drill the holes. 
6. Make a small hole with a regular drill bit first. Then use a spade bit to make the hole big enough for the bottle top to come through. 
7. Sand your boards to get out any rough spots and edges. 
8. Glue and nail the ends together. It will become more sturdy once the glue drys. 
9. Carefully sand any other spots on the boards. 
10. Check to see if the bottles will fit into their spots. You may need to sand down the bottom edges of the holes to give a little more space to get the bottles in. 
11. Once the bottles fit and the glue is dry it is ready for the clear coat. Remove the bottles before painting the clear coat. You could also stain this to match your decor. The natural wood goes well with the decor in our home. 
12. After everything is dry place the bottle back in their spots.
13. Fill the bottles with water and add your flowers. 
14. Use your new DIY decor as a centerpiece for everyone to see. Enjoy!
    
    
    

DIY Painted Welcome Signs

Everyone needs a welcome sign on their front step!

Materials: 

• 10"x6' Pine Board (3/4 inch thick)
• 6" Stencils
• Sand Paper or Power Sander
• Pencil
• Acrylic Paints
• Paint Brushes
• Clear Coat Polyurethane 

Directions:

1. Sand the board to get out any rough spots or marks. Wipe it clean.
2. Line up and measure out your stencils. You want the letters to be straight, centered and evenly spaced. Then trace the letters.
3. For the O in Welcome you can draw and paint anything you like. Flower, pumpkin, snowflake, sports ball, etc.
4. Paint the letters and your design for the O.
5. Once the paint is dry, paint on a coat or 2 of the polyurethane. Let it dry. 
6. Place on your front step to welcome your guests. You could even make these as gifts.