Christmas Card Display Tutorial

This post is sponsored by The Home Depot. All project ideas and opinions are 100% mine.

I am beyond excited to be partnering up with Home Depot and some of my favorite bloggers to show you what is coming up at this month’s #DIH Workshop! Last week we posted a sneak peek of the Seasonal Character Door Hanger project, and today I get to show you how I customized it for my holiday decor. Here is the project we were challenged to make:

I created a twist on the traditional snowman and turned it into a Christmas Card display.

This project is totally doable for the beginner, so grab a girlfriend and come make your own Seasonal Character Door Hanger this Thursday, Oct. 20th at your local Home Depot. Get more details and REGISTER here!

Let’s get right down to business and I’ll show you how I made this Snowman Christmas Card Display. Here’s the list of supplies I used:

• 1 – 1’x6’x8′ Tongue and Groove Pine Stock Board
• 1 – 1’x4’x8′ Common or Pine Board
• 8 – 1 1/4″ Philips flat-head multi material screws
• Americana Decor Chalky Finish paint (8 oz.) in Relic and Everlasting
• 5 ft. of Everbilt Natural Fibers Jute Twine
• Drill
• Wood Filler
• Sand paper (medium and fine grit)
• Paintbrush

I purchased my supplies at Home Depot, starting with the common and stock boards. Since this project only requires a few simple cuts, I had a Home Depot employee cut the boards down for me. I had the tongue and groove board cut into three pieces, each measuring 32″ in length. The common board was cut into two pieces 24″ in length, and two smaller pieces, each 4″ in length. Here is what they looked like when I brought them home:

First, I had to make two small precision cuts on the 4″ pieces, trimming them to an angle (3″ on one side, 4″ on the other). I gave all the wood a light sanding with my medium grit sand paper. I assembled the card display by gluing the tongue and groove boards together, using a generous beading of wood glue in each groove. Make sure to allow enough time for the glue to dry, overnight if possible.

Next, it was time to attach the “brim” of the snowman’s hat. I measured and marked 8″ down from the top of base on the right side, and 12″ down on the left side. I lined up one of the 24″ boards with my markings and inserted the smaller angled pieces in between on each side of the brim.

I secured the board to the base with six 1 1/4″ screws, two in each section of tongue and groove board, across the brim of the hat. I turned it over and attached the other board on the back using two more screws, one on each end of the board, going in to the angled pieces in the middle of the two 24″ boards.

I wanted the brim of the hat to have a smooth surface so I filled in the screw holes with this stainable and paintable wood filler.

Once the filler was completely dry, I sanded the surface and prepped everything for paint. I used one of my very favorite paint lines for this project, Americana Decor Chalky Finish paint in Relic and Everlasting. Here are the supplies I picked up at Home Depot to complete the card display.

Once the paint was completely dry, I was ready to add some hand lettering on the hat. I started drafting the phrase with chalk to figure out exactly what I wanted it to look like. I was able to wipe it clean with a baby wipe as I refined my design. Here is what my final chalk version looked like:

At the last minute, I decided the swirly designs on the end of the letters weren’t really my style, so I wiped them off just before I started painting. Using a small paintbrush I painted over my chalk design, one letter at a time. Once the paint was all dry, I simply wiped over it again and all the remaining chalk smudges were gone!

To get a more weathered look, I lightly sanded the letters with fine grit sand paper.

Finally, I created the string pattern with jute twine, gluing each piece to the back and across the front to the other side. I attached the Christmas cards by tucking them in between the strings and using mini wooden clothespins.

I love how it turned out!

It was fun thinking about how to put my own spin on this project in a way it can be used indoors as part of my holiday decor. Since this is a virtual party, I’m joining 20+ more bloggers today who are sharing their own versions of the Seasonal Character Door Hanger. Make sure to check out their projects for a ton of inspiration!

Live Laugh Rowe / The Turquoise Home / Cherished Bliss / TIDBITS / Refresh Restyle / The Creative Mom / My Sister’s Suitcase / My Love 2 Create / Sweet Charli / Not Just A Housewife / Domestically Speaking / Lovely Etc / Redhead Can Decorate / Yesterday on Tuesday / Elizabeth Joan Design / The Rustic Life / One Artsy Mama / Tonality Designs / She Leaves A Little Sparkle / Our Vintage Nest / All Things Thrifty / Our Thrifty Ideas / Junque Cottage / The Crafted Sparrow / Sweet Rose Studio

How would you customize this seasonal project for your home? You can make one this Thursday at your local DIH Workshop, so don’t forget to sign up here!