For the enthusiastic seasonal celebrator, few things are as cathartic as putting up decorations to create the perfect atmosphere for sharing in the joy. We have many symbols— trees, bells, wreaths, snowfall— to work with and a tower of turns-of-phrase— a joy to the world, jingle bells, ho ho ho, etc— to relay.
Possibly one rival to decorating the house is making decorations at home, and this is particularly the case when it comes to repurposing materials to do the deed. With little debate, one of the most rewarding and remarkable items to repurpose is old lumber, be it pallet wood, barn wood, or old bridge beams.
Immediately, an old characterful piece of wood brings gravitas to a new creation, and with so little needed to make a quality holiday décor ooze holly jolly, repurposed wood for DIY decorations can be simple, effective, impressive, and fun to do.
So, what to make?
1. Rustic Wood Painting
It could be one nice piece of gnarly wood and one simple image, and the whole thing works wonderfully. Or, it can be several boards to make a canvas of sorts, and the image can be a favorite print with twirly-whirl designs around it. Rustic wood paintings are awesome decorations. They can be hung indoors or outdoors, and they set the mood to warm nostalgia.
2. Holiday Signs
Utilizing the same premise, holiday signs make use of notable slabs of wood as inviting backgrounds for messages of the season. Paint the words on the wood and stake the signs in the yard, hang them on the wall, stand them up on the mantle, or put them where you like. Write the words and phrases vertically, horizontally, or mix them up. Happy Holidays!
3. 2-D Christmas Tree
Pallet wood or old barn wood is awesome for making 2-D Christmas trees to hang on the wall or stand up in front of it. These are great for those without the space to go full-on in their gifts-under-the-Christmas tree endeavors. Use one long board as the trunk and fasten longer boards at the bottom, decreasing in length until they make a point at the top. Then, decorate the tree with lights and real (or painted) ornaments.
4. Rustic Candle Holders
This is a holiday decoration that can work any time of the year, but they are quite fetching with red and green candles. Take a rustic plank and sand it down nicely. Drill a few holes big and deep enough for tea candles to fit in the plank. Wherever a little candlelight would make the mood right, it’s an ideal candleholder.
5. Jigsaw Ornaments
This is a really good project for pine pallet wood which tends to be thin and soft, perfect for cutting with that jigsaw that’s been tucked away unused in the closet or garage for the last half-decade. Draw a seasonal shape on the wood, and use the jigsaw to cut it out. Sand it up nicely, give a bit of linseed oil, and drill a hole so it can hang from the tree. Homemade ornaments are always a holiday favorite.
6. Boxed Decorations & Lights
The crux of this homespun decoration can be achieved just as easily with a secondhand basket, but budding carpenters out there might enjoy making a rustic box or treasure chest. Once that is done, fill the basket/box/chest with decorations, pine cones, evergreen boughs, and a string of lights. It makes a cozy, lowkey display perfect for adding a bit of mood lighting.
7. Card Display Board
Many folks like to display the various cards they get over the season, but space runs out on the mantle and shelves after a while, so it helps to have another place to display them. Or, maybe it works to have a great spot for prized cards. Basically, make a rectangle or square with four boards, run string between the two sides, and pin cards on them.
8. Stocking Hanger
Simple. A beautiful rustic slab of wood. A few hooks or decorative nails. Stockings hanging. Doesn’t this sound like a great idea for those without fireplaces or mantles for Christmas stockings?
9. Beam Snowmen
While this decoration doesn’t have to be limited to snowmen (reindeer, Santa, elves, owls, and so on work fine too), snowmen do work particularly well. Take an old section of square beam or posts (4×4, 6×6, etc.), paint it the appropriate base color, and add in the appropriate features. In the case of a snowman, give it a hat and buttons and so on. A collection of these figures makes an impression.
Once the creative juices get flowing and the holiday spirit grabs you, the repurposed wood will be flying up around the house. It’ll be a lot of fun.
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