diy project wood block fall banner

 Autumn Corrected Banner

Dear 10 minutes,

I am so glad you were well spent yesterday.

All 600 seconds of you.

Because I had a mantle without a banner and fall was in the air.

Seriously.

I was almost (this close) to pulling out the leg warmers from circa 1990 and adding lace to the top and going all Flashdance with my fall decorating.

Good thing I ran out of time. 🙂

fall mantel decor

In case you have an extra 10 minutes not used for putting your leg warmers on….

….here’s an easy DIY to make a wood block fall banner.

wood block fall banner

Step 1:  Cut up old molding

Remember the time you added molding to a DIY project in your house and you kept all the pieces thinking that one day you would find a use for them?

Today is the day.

Simply cut molding or wood scraps into blocks.

wood block molding

Step 2:  Paint the molding

I painted gray and brown acrylic paint (or some combination thereof) on the molding pieces.

Do not stress.

Just look at these pieces I painted to be reassured.

See all the brush strokes and the missed spots?

You are about to sand all that into perfection.

wood block fall garland

3.  Sand pieces of molding

See?

I told you it would work out.

Distressed and chippy and extra fall looking.

hardware fall banner

4.  Screw in eye hooks

Add an eye hook to each piece of the wooden molding.

Make sure they are even on both sides.

Then hot glue on a chip board letter to each block to spell out a word or phrase.

fall wood blocks

5.  Tie twine and hang

Tie a piece of twine to both sides of the blocks and hang them together.

Attach finished banner to the mantel.

wood block mantel decor

Here’s an easier version.

Simply follow steps 1-3 and glue on the chipboard letters and place them on the mantel.

That would give you extra time…..

….just in case you thought about adding stirrup pants to your leg warmer ensemble. 🙂

Autumn Corrected Banner

Need a little more fall inspiration?

Here’s some more 10 minute decorating ideas from some of my friends:

Faucet Handle Velvet Pumpkins from Finding Home

Frugal Fall Flowers from Inspired by Charm

Gold Studded Pumpkin from Not Just a Housewife

Fall Leaf Art from I Heart Organizing

DIY Fall Planter from Four Generations One Roof

 

Thistlewood DIY project wood block fall banner

Want to know how to decorate your home for free?
Click here to get my FIVE BEST secrets.

Comments

  1. Image for Marisa Franca @ All Our Way Marisa Franca @ All Our Way

    Well now you've hurt my feelings!! I did have leg warmers a la Jane Fonda -- I think they're still stuck in my bottom dresser drawer AND I have some really neat velveteen stirrup pants. They're black and they stretch and I'm waiting for them to come back in style so I'm asking the fashionista -- are they coming back anytime soon?? I've got a long gold lame knit cardigan and shell that goes with it. If it's coming back anytime soon I've got to start the diet TODAY!! It will take me a while to lose the weight so I can squeeze into them :-) But!! Hope is eternal. I love the wood blocks! This is something even I can do.

  2. Image for Amy W. Amy W.

    Oh! Oh! Oh! The Wonderful Items You Create In A Moments Notice!! Just Awesome You Are!! Wishing You A Beautiful Fall Day!!

  3. Image for Cecilia Cecilia

    I'm so glad you made those instead of embellishing the leg warmers! And girl, I've been trying to forget about stirrup pants (what were we thinking? Lol). I love the banner and how simple it is to make...hm, it has me thinking... :-)

  4. Image for Debbie W. Debbie W.

    Awesome - love all your ideas!! oh how I remember those stirrup pants and legwarmers - I do hope the puffy sleeves and football type shoulder pads don't make a come back!!

  5. Image for Gracia @ Gracious Offering Gracia @ Gracious Offering

    Kari Ann, I love how you use simple things so creatively! Old house moulding...yes! As the wife of a builder, I'm sure we must have some around in the shop. Thanks for the idea and detailed instructions. The rains just came to Seattle...leg warmers (well, boot toppers anyway) are just around the corner:).

  6. Image for June Gerstner June Gerstner

    You NEVER cease to amaze me! You must lay awake nights thinking of these wonderful, innovative, quick, absolutely stupendous ideas for how to take something the rest of us would normally throw away and turn it into the best thing since sliced bread!!!! Another winner for sure. You go girl...you're my idol!

  7. Image for Colleen Colleen

    How about stretching the old leg warmers around a pumpkin for a pumpkin sweater? Haha. Could be quite 80's fabulous. I too had leg warmers once upon a time but I like the modern day boot top version much better...she's a maniac, maniac on the floor....

  8. Image for Lisa Lisa

    You are just too creative for your own britches!! Or should I say 'leg warmers'? These are down right adorable and unique. Love them! Fondly, -Lisa

  9. Image for Marsha Marsha

    I made hubby keep pieces of molding when we built our house this year. I've used several pieces to make "pallet" art and now I have another idea to use more pieces. I think my hubby runs a little every time he hears, "Honey I saw this great idea..."

Comments are closed.