Hey Y’all!!
Who has a crazy pile of scrap wood laying around?? ME!!! I certainly do, and I am always looking for new things to do with it. I do not have the heart to throw any of it away!
We recently built a work bench in the garage and I was left with several scrap pieces of 2×4. Maybe you don’t have an abundance of scrap wood, and that’s okay! 2x4s are very inexpensive and you can pick up one at your local hardware store for next to nothin’!
I have a bird problem!! What does that have to do with my latest DIY project? Well, the wreath on my front door, MY BEAUTIFUL MAGNOLIA LEAF WREATH, is a favorite nesting spot for Mama and Daddy Birds. Now that my latest tenants are gone, it’s time to come up with a summer wreath solution that will not be inviting to the local bird population.
Here’s what I used for this project.
- Scrap 2×4
- Tape Measure (a ruler will do)
- Triangle thingy (see photo below)
- Miter Saw
- Apple Barrel Paint, and Brush (Yellow and Gray)
- Waverly Dark Antiquing Wax
- Sanding Block
- E6000
- Hot Glue Gun, and Glue Sticks
- Wire Wreath Ring from the Dollar Tree
- Flowers from the thrift store (optional)
- Burlap Ribbon (optional)
I started with a 25″ long piece of 2×4! Why 25 inches? That’s what I had.
I took my tape measure and marked a line every 1/2 inch. Then I took the triangle thingy and marked my lines at each dot. (I don’t know the name for it, but I can assure you that my lack of proper terminology did not affect the function of the triangle thingy.)
Next I took the Miter Saw and cut along each line. If you do this, please make sure you wear proper eye protection, and keep your fingers AWAY from the saw blade. Safety FIRST! That left me with a nice little pile of 1/2inch-ish pieces of scrap wood. They weren’t all perfectly sized, oh well (it gives it more character).
I had a dollar tree wire wreath ring in the craft drawer, and it worked perfect for what I wanted. Laying out the scrap wood pieces helped to have a good idea for spacing. It took 16 for the bottom layer and 16 for the top. There were several pieces left over.
I used dark antiquing wax from WalMart to “stain” the bottom pieces. Then I painted 8 of the top pieces Gray, and the other 8 Yellow. I distressed all of them using a sanding block from the Dollar Tree.
Using E6000 AND Hot glue, I secured my entire bottom layer to the ring. This part was a little tricky because the area they had to cling to was small. Once it was pretty secure I flipped it upside down and added a considerable amount of hot glue at each point where the wood touched the ring. That made me feel comfortable that my base wasn’t going anywhere!
Next, I attached the top pieces alternating colors. I used the same E6000 and Hot Glue method. I decided to add some flowers that I found at the thrift store to soften it up a bit. I also added some twigs, and a piece of Burlap ribbon to hang it. Feel free to add as much detail as you want to your wreath. Let your creativity run wild!
I put together the wreath live on our facebook page, and you can watch that right here if you want.
I love how well it turned out, and I’m pretty sure that the birds won’t be making a home in it! They have a nice comfortable tree right next to my porch that should work real well for them!
If you love it as much as I do, could you do me a little favor and……..
PIN IT FOR LATER……
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If you make this project send us pictures! We love seeing what our crafty friends are doing.
xoxo- Lizzy
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