Up until the last couple of days, we had been experiencing a deep freeze since the start of the new year with several days in the teens for high temperatures. I am certainly not a cold weather fan, but this was a little absurd! But, it’s only January, which means we still have a lot of winter left.
So, I’ll turn to my happy place, creating art! Grab a cup of something warm and keep reading to learn how to turn cold weather into an inspiring piece of art.
I started by designing a collage of all things winter, at least in our part of the world. If you would like a free copy of this design, click here.
If you’d like to replicate this tutorial, here are the supplies that I used.
· slice of wood
· sandpaper
· pencil or sharp point for transfer
· nail polish
First, my husband sliced a few pieces of wood from a tree that we had to cut down. If you do not have scrap wood at your home, you can easily purchase a precut piece from a craft store or home improvement store. I really like the unusual shape of these pieces.
If you purchase a precut piece, you will likely not have to sand the surface like I did. Even with a fair amount of sanding, there were still plenty of ridges and grooves to work around.
Once you have a smooth surface, apply a layer of clear gesso. This will smooth the surface and provide a barrier so that the paint does not soak right into the wood.
After the gesso has dried, it’s time to transfer the design onto the board. Place the carbon paper, carbon side down. Tape the print out on top of the carbon paper and secure both layers to the wood. When tracing, be sure to press hard enough for the design to transfer completely.
Now, it’s time to go over each line with a sharpie fine liner. I tried using my usual micron pens, but the wood ruined the tips quickly. The sharpie held up well and they are cheaper! Win-win!
I did add a “Welcome” element to the top of the sign to make mine appropriate to hang at outside our front door. This is completely optional. Another idea would be to write a last name above or below the design if your wood allows space for it.
Once the design has been outlined, decide which areas will be painted and what colors to use. I used white for any snowy or fluffy areas, with accent colors for other drawings. I didn’t paint every design because I wanted to allow the natural wood to show through on a few. Of course, you can paint the entire board if you want! That’s what makes this project so fun; you can customize the painting to suit your specific color schemes or style.
I used nail polish with glitter in it, because it had a nice opaque finish and why not? I love the sparkle!
When I have all of the details just the way I want them, allow the paint to completely dry. Then, apply a generous layer of mod podge over the entire surface of the wood.
As you can see, this picture is of a different board. I had so much fun with this design that I made several to share with friends.
After drying completely, it is time to fasten the hanger to the back of your board and display your work of art!
Thank you for joining me for another tutorial and if you are interested in the design for this project, just sign up below!
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