DIY Pallet Art

In this post I hinted at a project I had in the works. This past winter I found a beautiful wooden photograph pallet at HomeGoods (you can see it in the 2nd and 3rd pictures in this post). I kept it up all winter long but since it was a photograph of winter berries I had to take it down when spring arrived. I have to admit I was a little sad and my wall looked so bare without it. I tried hanging a frame in that spot but it didn't feel quite right after having that beautiful rustic pallet on the wall all winter 

I had seen several tutorials on pinterest for diy pallet art using photographs, so when Shutterfly offered a deal on 16X20 prints, I decided to try my hand at making one. I searched through my digital photo albums and chose a photograph that would work for spring/summer/fall. That way I had something nice to hang all year round! 

It took me a couple of evenings from start to finish (after a certain point it needed to dry for 24 hours before I preceded to the next step) but it was actually a very easy project to create. 

You will need:

photograph on nice quality photo paper

wooden pallet or planks of wood the same size as your photograph

x-acto knife or paper cutter

Modge Podge

paint brush

sandpaper

Align the photo on the wooden pallet. 

Indent the photo where there is a gap between the planks.

Using an x-acto knife or cutter, slice the picture using the marks you made earlier as a guide. 

I made my cuts slightly jagged to give a more rustic look. 

When I was planning this project I found several different options of what to use to adhere the photograph to the pallet. I went with Mod Podge since that seemed to be what was recommended the most. 

Generously apply a coat of Mod Podge to the wood. 

Apply a thick layer of Mod Podge to the back of the picture. 

Align each piece of the picture to the wood and apply another coat of Mod Podge to the top of the photograph. 

Make sure the Mod Podge is evenly spread out and the brush strokes are neat. Once it dries, it will be clear but you can still see the brush strokes at certain angles. 

Let it dry for at least 24 hours.  

Using a coarse sandpaper, sand off the edges of the pallet for a rustic feel and to smooth out any Mod Podge thickness. 

Sand off as much or as little as desired. Take advantage of the knots and uniqueness of the wood by sanding a little more in those spots. 

Finish it off by attaching a picture hanger to the back. 

I'm very happy with the way it turned out!