A Designer At Home

Wall art is my favorite way to add whimsy to a space. Mixing art prints, using dimensional pieces like baskets, and a little DIY is my formula for perfect walls. I wanted a large rustic and southwestern inspired art piece to hang in between two windows in our living room a while back, so I came up with this rustic wall art piece. It’s relatively simple and requires minimal tools and skills, yet packs a powerful decorative punch!

What You’ll Need

1 x 4 x 6 #2 & Better Kiln Dried Whitewood Board S4S x 10
7/16 in. x 4 ft. x 8 ft. OSB Sheathing
Minwax 22240 Wood Finish Interior Wood Stain, Special Walnut, 1/2-Pint
Minwax 22718 1/2 Pint Wood Finish Interior Wood Stain, Ebony
Dirty Sock/Rag
1 1/4 long screws x 36
Wood Glue
Large D Rings x 2
World’s Strongest Picture Hanger
PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)

How Long It Takes

It’s a weekend project. Cutting the wood is quick, but measuring out the angles and distances was a bear. Then there’s dry time to account for with the stain.

Rustic Wall Art Tutorial

To Start, Hubby cut across the shortest length of the plywood 40 inches in then in half. We had 2 pieces that were 40 by 24 inches. This is the base in which our whitewood board will be adhered to.

I then found the center of each of the 10 boards. The top and bottom boards did not need and cuts- Yay! For 2 boards, I started from that center point, measured out 12 inches left and right and marked. Another 2 boards measured out 18 inches from the center and marked. Another 2 boards and measured out 24 inches. The last 2 boards measured out 30 inches. Hubby cut 45 degree angles at those marks (Or at least the best we could, I did use an old school protractor for this but we were working with a flaky circular saw and many cuts were not perfect).

Next I stained the outer boards the darker stain. And the inner ones, I stained the lighter color. I then allowed them to dry. (It seemed tempting to skip the wait but I didn’t want to transfer the stain accidentally.)

The next step was to lay the boards on a level surface and wood glue them in place. I would recommend using something to securely clamp them in place while the glue dries if you attempt this project- Not random house weights.

Once dried, hubby reinforced the boards with the 1 1/4 inch screws. He then attached the large D rings to the backs. We then ensured our heavy duty, ultra heavy load picture hanging hardware is installed correctly.

I could hardly contain myself when we got it up on the wall. I had to Instagram it immediately. Ha.

So creating a rustic and massive piece of art wasn’t all that difficult. It’s way cooler than something I would’ve picked up from any store and it was fun getting it created with my husband’s help. Granted, I have since taken it down. And it sits in our garage. But, I do love it and am always looking for a new place to hang it up!

I wanted to share an informational post today on 5 beginner-intermediate macrame knots. I won’t be talking a whole lot, I hope you like that. Rather, I’ve taken step by step photos that I’ve compiled to show you each of the 5 knots. Each knot is very easy to get the hang of, so you shouldn’t have to practice too many times before you’re flying through them! If you want to learn how to macrame, just keep reading:

How To Macrame – 5 Essential Knots

Pretty much a staple when creating a macrame hanging is the Lark’s Head knot, it’s one of the easiest ways to get your rope around your straight object (i.e. pipe, stick, dowel rod, etc.)

If you’re like me, you probably never knew this knot had a name. It’s really the most basic knot I can think of, and one I’ve been using namelessly for many years!

Need a knot but want something a bit more jazzed up than the overhand knot? The figure 8 is just slightly more complicated but looks so pretty when using multiple strands of rope at once!

Another staple to Macrame is the square knot. If you’ve made a hemp bracelet or two, you’ll have the muscle memory for this knot! Check out my Simple Macrame Wall Hanging Tutorial, it’s great for beginners and uses this knot repetitiously!

And the final knot, when combined with the other 4 knots, really makes for an impressive macrame piece! Still fairly easy to master, but looks more intricate than it really is!

Have you tried Macrame yet? Share in the comments what you’ve made, or what you want to make. These knots are the basis of most of the really cool pieces you’ll see in Etsy shops and on Instagram, so give it a go.