Scrap Wood Wall Art

Sarah
by Sarah
2 Materials
$25
2 Hours
Easy

There is absolutely nothing better than a free project, and if there is, I sure can’t think of it! It is so fun to use leftover scrap wood to create fun new projects and this West Elm wood wall art knockoff is quite possibly my favorite. I’m so thrilled with how this scrap wood wall art turned out and think it is the perfect addition to my guest room refresh.

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Length of time for project: 2-4 hours

Cost: Free! Or about $25 if you buy the supplies.

What you’ll need: Scrap wood backing (plywood preferable- you could use a  project panel), 1/2″ square wood strips (these  square wooden dowels would be perfect), 1×2 board for framing, wood glue and finish nails.

What I learned: One solid piece of plywood would have been vastly easier and likely more secure than the 3 panels of faux brick paneling I had to use. But there is something to be said about using what you have so…you do you!


Step 1: The Backing


Now, in a perfect world, I would have had some scrap plywood lying around to use as the backing for this wall art. But, alas, I did not. I did, however, have some faux brick paneling leftover from One Room Challenge  Industrial Sports Bedroom last year! It needed to be pieced together a bit but I was able to make it work. 3 strips of paneling were pieced together by adding strips of wood to the back in multiple locations. This not only secures them to each other but also provides some stability. Not pretty but functional.

Given I was using a few stitched together pieces of paneling as my backing, there were a few gaps that needed filling. Using some leftover joint compound from my wood paneling update, I used a german schmere technique to not only fill the gaps but also modernize the look of the faux bricks.

Step 2: Wood Strips


For the strips of wood, I used my table saw to rip down some leftover shiplap I had lying around. If you know me at all, you know that I really do not love using my table saw. But I do like to reuse and repurpose what I have so I made an exception here. That said, if you don’t have a table saw or don’t have scrap wood lying around, these  square wooden dowels would be perfect for a project like this!

A 2×4 scrap piece of wood was used to make sure the spacing was consistent in between strips. You could literally do any design here that you want! Once the strips were in place, add glue to the back and then secure them with a nail gun. As you can see, the strips aren’t perfect on the edges here…and they don’t need to be. Once it is all secured, take a circular saw or jigsaw and cut off the excess.

Step 3: Paint


Next I went over the whole piece with white paint to give it a uniform look.

Step 4: Frame


Lastly, attach the frame! I stained mine black but you could leave it raw or paint it as well. Attach the frame using wood glue and a nail gun. I hung this using a picture hanging wire and screws…but if you use plywood I think a french cleat would be perfect.


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My Inspiration piece


Can you believe this super large scrap wood wall art was free?!!! You can purchase all the pieces if needed (which I priced out to be about $25). Even then it would still be worth it given the inspiration wall art from West Elm retailed for about $1000!

Resources for this project:
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Sarah
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Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
  1 question
  • Renee Renee on Feb 26, 2024

    I was wondering if you could have used the back of the panels with the rest of the project and had a flat back to your your art?

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 2 comments
  • Johanne Palange Johanne Palange on May 27, 2021

    Even if we are not going to reproduce this kind of project we sometimes learn the most basic things through the process you have documented. I never would have thought to use a piece of board as a spacer to get your pieces evenly spaced. So simple. So easy. So I'm happy to have learned something I will use.

    • Mary Russell Mary Russell on May 28, 2021

      Johanne Palange,it seems strange to hear you say that about spacing.That is the system I've been using ever since I built a picket fence for a woman many many years ago,when I was still a'young-un',ha.It was so long ago the pickets were individual boards and had to be positioned at the right heith and the right distance apart.I made a spacer with the right width and fastened a piece to hold it at the right height for the top of the board.I was able to finish the fence faster than anticipated,so since I was working by the day ,wound up working myself out of a job quickly.The good news is the good report and good reputation it helped me develop.

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