United States Picture Frame Made from Fence Boards

I’ve always enjoyed working in the garage. One day when the Army is a distant memory, I’m going to have a 10,000 square foot workshop just for woodworking and building cars. Don’t tell Lizzy, because then she’ll demand that she has an equally as large “she shed”!

Recently, Lizzy had me help her with her “fence board shiplap” wall. We had a lot of extra fence boards laying around, so I thought I’d make her something out of them.

We have a cutting board shaped like the US. I used that to make a template out of cardboard. You could just as easily cut a template on your cutting machine, or print one to trace. This took the width of 3 boards. I traced the template straight on to the boards.

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Once I traced it I split the boards up and cut along the lines on each board, using a jigsaw. It is easier to work with each board separately rather than trying to cut it while its all put together.

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Cutting wood isn’t Lizzy’s thing, but I tell her all the time that with a little practice she could be a pro at it. The same goes for any of you. Here are some key tips if it’s your first time!

• ALWAYS make sure you are wearing protective gear. PROTECT THE 4: Hands, Eyes, Ears, and Lungs.

• Practice using your saw on simple projects first.

• Always keep your free hand to the side of the saw, never in front of it. If you have to move the saw to another place to start cutting for whatever reason, make sure the blade has completely stopped prior to moving the saw. If you don’t, you could damage the piece you are working on, and possibly break the blade.

• Let the saw blade get up to speed before starting to cut. Apply light pressure and let the blade work through the wood. Do not push the saw blade through the wood. That will make the blade bend in the turns, messing up the cut and possibly breaking the blade.

• Be patient and do not get in a hurry. Slow and steady for the curved areas. Take small bits out at a time. 

Once the shape is cut out, do your sanding on each individual slat, before putting it together. Tiny pieces of sand paper will help you to get into the small areas. I attached everything together by using two pieces of scrap wood, and the tack gun.

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Sand as much or as little as you want for the finish you desire. I finished it out with the dark wax Lizzy and Erin always use for their projects. Waverly Dark Antique Wax from Wal Mart.

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Wrap the jute/twine around the bottom and make sure its pretty tight so it will hold your photos

That’s all I did, to create this custom piece for our home. Make sure you send pictures, or let us know how your first time with a jigsaw goes, if this is your first time!

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Make sure you are following Lizzy and Erin on social media. They always have new tips and tricks to show you.

They also have a few of these available in their new store.

While I have you all here, I just want to take the time to tell you how much I appreciate all of the support you give the girls. It means a lot to them. There is not a day that goes by, that Lizzy doesn’t tell me a hundred times over how much she feels blessed to have you all in her life. I don’t think either one of the girls knew exactly where they would be at today compared to when they started chasing their dream.

I can tell you Mr. Erin and I sure knew!!

Thanks- Mr. Lizzy