GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — It is all the rage. The farmhouse look has been made popular by shows like Fixer Upper. Stars Chip and Joanna Gaines have made the farmhouse chic look the dream of home decoration. But, that look can get expensive.
There are a few easy projects you can do yourself to give your home a touch of farmhouse chic, while avoiding a lofty price tag.
White Picket Fence Sign
Supplies:
- Popsicle sticks
- Glue (I prefer my hot glue gun)
- Wooden sign, letters or stickers
- String
- Paint
- Paint brush
Instructions:
- Glue Popsicle sticks together side by side. Make sure the row is long enough for your lettering to fit across. You can even make two rows of sticks and stack them on top of each other.
- Paint the sticks. I used a white chalk-like paint
- If you have wooden lettering, paint that in another color that coordinates with your home decor or at least a contrasting color. I chose a chalk-like grey.
- Attach lettering to front of sticks when all paint is dry
- cut a small piece of string and attach the ends on the back of the sticks, to use as a hook to hang your wooden piece.
Tips:
- The lettering I used was already available at the dollar store. You can use individual letters to spell out your last name, or even a special message!
- Wider sticks look best with this project, since they closely resemble fence posts.
Book Stack
Supplies:
Instructions:
- Remove the covers from the books.
- Paint the outside of each book cover, including the binding. This may take several layers of paint to cover.
- Add stickers or lettering to the bindings. You can create a phrase or your favorite book quote down the spines.
- Tie the bundle together with string.
Tips:
- Find hardcover books that have plain hard covers (under the plastic casing). It will be easier to paint a book white, if the hard cover is already a lighter color.
- You may need to paint part of the inside of the book cover that isn't covered by pages, so the pieces all match. One of my books had navy on the inside of the cover so I painted those portions white as well.
- I use stickers on the bindings because I do not have the best handwriting. You can also use a marker (felt tip would be best on light colored paint) to write a quote or phrase.
Wall Hangers
Supplies:
- Wooden blocks in any shape
- Paint
- Paint brush
- Metal wall hooks
- String
- Stickers, or markers
- Hot glue gun (or wood glue)
Instructions:
- Paint the wooden shapes in any desired color.
- Add a fun phrase or quote with stickers or markers
- Attach metal hooks at the bottom of the wooden shapes
- Cut a piece of string to make a loop, and glue it to the top to use as a hanger
Tips:
- I found my pieces pre-made at Meijer. I just didn't like the wording on the front. I was able to paint over it (with a few layers) and add my own stickers.
- You can find small wooden shapes and metal wall hooks at the dollar store.
- We use ours to hang our keys by the front door. Get creative with yours! You can use them to even hang other decorations. Just make sure you are hanging light-weight objects.
Looking for more affordable crafts? Send your ideas to ksakala@13onyourside.com
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