“Believe” Rustic Christmas Art

I’m kinda crazy about decorating for Christmas with rustic bells, aged wood, and lovely burlap! I figure that if I wrap myself in enough flannel and decorate with enough woodland creatures, it’ll be just as good as if I was celebrating the holidays in some gorgeous backwoods cabin. A girl can dream, right?! Until that cabin becomes a reality, I guess I’ll just have to keep making things like this Believe Rustic Christmas Art!

“Believe” Rustic Christmas Art

Materials:

• Unfinished Wood Shadow Box – 8.5×11
• White Wood Stain
• Chestnut Wood Stain
• Red Paint
• Rustic Jingle Bell – 2.5″
• Jute Rope
• Decorative Ribbon & Small Pinecones
• Staple Gun
• Hammer (or anything else heavy to antique the frame)

Instructions:

Step One. Unless the shadow box you’re using already has a vintage look to it, you’re going to have to ding it up a bit. I used various tool shed supplies to add scratches, notches, scrapes, such to the frame. A hammer works really well for this! Apply a couple layers of the white wood stain (or watered down acrylic paint) and allow to dry completely before continuing.

Step Two. While you’re waiting for the stain to dry, you can start embellishing your rusted jingle bell. I went minimal with just a couple small pine cones and berries. The vintage-looking ribbon (reminiscent of a flour sack) adds the perfect touch!

Step Three. When the stain is dry, either free-hand the word “believe” or use some carbon paper to transfer a printed out version. Use a thin paintbrush and red paint to color in. Don’t worry too much about trying to make it perfect. We’re going for that homey, rustic look!

Step Four. Ok, now the scary part! Apply a thin layer of the chestnut stain over a section of the frame and then quickly wipe away with a cloth. I love how the chestnut give the whole piece a bit of that grayish, aged wood look!

Step Five. Almost There! Use a staple gun to attach the bell to the top of the frame. Nevermind my multiple failed attempts in the picture. Measure twice, staple once!

Step Six. If you want, you can take a piece of sandpaper to the whole frame to distress it even more. I used a medium weight sandpaper mostly around the edges and corners. When you’re happy with the look, just hang it up in your house and have a great holiday season!

Happy Holiday

Hope everyone has a great holiday season full of friends, family, and plenty of rust!