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Oh boy, do I have a crazy DIY for you guys today!
I have been wanting to create a herringbone wall decor piece for so long, but I was never sure how to do it.
My biggest hurdle was that I needed to be able to make this DIY without power tools. I, unfortunately, don’t have the tools or space to do it in my apartment, and the hardware store could not do the cuts as small as I was hoping for. So, this meant I needed to find a smaller material from the craft store.
I also wanted it to be lightweight so that it was easy to move around when needed and would not leave too much damage to the walls in my rental.
Taking those details into consideration, as well as trying to do this on a budget, I decided to use popsicle sticks! Popsicle sticks were the exact size I had in mind, in addition to, being inexpensive, lightweight and easy to cut with scissors.
This project is definitely not for the faint of heart, but it made a huge impact in my home and only cost $11 to make!
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
POPSICLE STICKS | FOAM BOARD | SCISSORS | SQUARE DOWEL RODS | PAINT | PAINTBRUSH | HOT GLUE GUN | SANDPAPER | TAPE
HOW TO MAKE IT
I knew I was going to need a lot of popsicle sticks, so I bought a bulk box of 1000 sticks. I also purchased two thick foam boards to use as my backing and six square dowel rods for the border.
I started by laying the two foam boards next to each other and hot gluing the seam between them. Then, I added a strip of tape over it to secure it in place.
The first — and most time consuming — step is to cut the rounded ends off of the popsicle sticks. You want to make sure you are cutting them all the same size in order for your pattern to work. So, cut one stick to use as a guide.
Once you cut a decent amount, lay them out on the foam board just to get an idea of how many more you will need. I ended up using about 800 popsicle sticks in total!
To make your art symmetrical, use the line where the two boards meet as the center of your design.
At the top of the board, measure out a 45-degree angle to create a “V” from the center line. This is where you will place your first two sticks and start the herringbone pattern.
From there, you should now be able to create a grid to help keep your design lined up as you go!
Carefully hot glue the sticks onto the board, making sure they are at the right angle. The hot glue dries fast and will rip the paper off the board if you have to remove it.
When you reach the edge, use a pencil to mark where the popsicle stick needs to be cut. You will want to cut the stick first and then glue it to the board.
Gluing is also a long process, so take your time and make sure your design is even as you go along.
Once everything is glued on, paint your artwork any color or design you would like.
I first tried to stain the sticks, but they had a protective coating that would not allow the stain to soak in, so I ended up using regular paints I already had instead. I also found it much easier to paint the popsicle sticks after they were glued on!
For my piece, I started by painting the entire thing white. I initially intended to just add some black accents, but didn’t like the contrast once I saw it in person.
Instead, I painted the top half blue and sanded it down. This gave it a distressed, beachy look that fits into my home perfectly!
I followed this up with a coat of clear wax and allowed time to dry before handling.
To create the border, I trimmed down six square dowel rods and painted them white.
After they dried, I flipped the artwork over and hot glued the dowel rods to the foam board, adding extra glue at the seams.
You’ll want to make sure you are holding the pieces together long enough for the glue to dry and make a strong bond.
The last step is to add a hanger. I used two leftover pieces of dowel rod and glued them on the back of the boards. This also helped to keep the boards from bending at the center and strengthen the seam.
I rested the top dowel rod on two nails — and that’s it! The finished product is so light and will be so easy to move around my home when I decide to redecorate!
This project turned out even better than I expected, and for such a small price! I may even make smaller versions for my other rooms!
Share your creations with us on Instagram! We’d love to see how your designs turn out!
PIN IT FOR LATER
What was the total size of the piece?
Total size is 61″ x 20.75″
Omg I’m doing this project this weekend:) what blue colors did you use?
I used Americana Decor Chalk Paint in Serene and mixed it with a more teal blue that I had gotten from the return section at Home Depot. I don’t know the name of that one unfortunately.
Omg girl I love this!!!!! Did you sand it after painting it white? Which paint did you use for the blue?? Ekkk I adore this!!!
Thank you so much! I used a couple of different blues mixed together, one being Americana Decor Chalky Finish in the color “serene”. The other blues were from the reject/returned paint section at Home Depot which don’t have any color information on them unfortunately. And yes, I sanded over the entire thing after painting! Thanks for reading!