Re-purposed Photo Hanger

As my hubby was getting ready to throw out a piece of wood from my daughter's old dresser, I probably startled him as I yelled for him to "STOP! I can use that!!" I think he is used to this from me by now though :)

The piece was already a laminate white, which worked fine for me. All I did was glue ribbon to the front of some clothespins to coordinate with her room, and then hot glued them to the board for her to hang pictures on. So easy and a fun way to re-purpose a piece of wood that was about to become garbage.

"Faux" Barn Wood Photo Board Tutorial

Almost two weeks ago, I began this project, and finally I found the time to finish it! It was worth the wait :)

It began with inspiration from this, and changed a little bit to my preferences.

Materials Needed:

6 Balsa boards (these are extremely lightweight so they wouldn't be heavy to hang. They had different thicknesses and I picked one that did not feel like I would accidentally snap it in half.) Also, They only had 5, and being the impatient person that I am, I did not want to wait. So I bought 2 thinner pieces and glued them together and just made that work. Shhh - now you know my secret ;)
Balsa Support boards for the back
Glue Gun and Extra Glue Sticks
Wood Stain and Rag for Applying (I used soy stain in Walnut and applied 3 coats)
Wood Stain Varnish (I used Soy Varnish)
Printed Phrase from Computer and Ballpoint Pen (for etching letters to paint)
Acrylic Paint (For letters - or you could use vinyl lettering if you have the ability)
Mini clothes pins - or whatever size you like
Picture Hangers - obviously, for hanging :)
Assorted Photos

And here's how to do it:

1. Lay out boards how you want them. I staggered mine a bit for the look I wanted. 

2. Hot Glue support pieces to back of boards to hold them together.

3. Stain your wood with an old rag according to stain directions.

4. Print out your saying (this might take some trial and error to find the right size and font you want. I specifically chose a san serif font for painting ease, since painting is not my strong suit). Cut out your words and put them on top of the wood where you want them. (I used small pieces of scotch tape to secure, though that left some marks and I ended up having to re-sand/stain that board a little after, so can't say I recommend using tape!) Very carefully, firmly trace the outside of the letters with a ballpoint pen. 

5. Voila! Now carefully trace and fill in with paint color choice.

6. After applying varnish and allowing to dry, decide how you want the clothespins arranged and glue them on.

7. Add photos and DONE! Admire your new home decor piece - interchange photos as desired :)

I would love to see how your project turns out!!