How to Make Wooden Wall Art

by Allie Merrill

This was a fun one for me. I have never used a router before, but after this project, I’m hooked! As a new resident to the state, I chose Washington as my design, but you could do any design you want. It took me about ten minutes to route the design, and a few more minutes to stain it. Even easier to make than the Rope Swing Shelf!

Choose your board.

I used an extra piece leftover from another project, but you can choose any size you want. As long as it is deep enough to withstand the router depth, you’re good.

Draw your outline.

You can freehand it, or use various methods to trace on your design. Here is a simple way to trace an image if you’re unsure about your drawing skills.

Route your design.

For this piece, the router was set to 1/4in deep, and I wouldn’t go any deeper than that. You can use various router to bits to change it up, and for more details on how to use a router, stay tuned for a post in the coming weeks.

Apply stain.

I used a dark stain for the state, but if I did it again, I think I would choose something a little lighter. I may end up adding some stain to the edges later on, and also sanding it down to add a little distress to the piece.