I have a love/hate relationship with wall art. I love how it can pull an entire room together and make it feel cozy and complete. But I hate the price tag! I’ve been on a mission to create my own DIY wall art, and it doesn’t get much easier than these rustic painted arrows.
This month our #MonthlyDIYChallenge product was thin plywood or craft wood. I’ve had these wood plank panels in my basement for a couple months, and while it’s technically not plywood, it’s thin wood I already had on hand so I decided to roll with it.
First I cut the boards in half so they were 16″ long, then I gave them a coat of General Finishes “Java” gel stain.
Next, I freehanded arrows onto the boards with Annie Sloan “Old White” chalk paint. Any paint would work, that’s just what I had on hand. Don’t be intimidated by the thought if freehanding the arrows. We’re going to distress them with sandpaper in a bit, and the distressing works wonders to erase any imperfections. Here’s my arrows pre-distressing.
And here’s a closeup of how they look after distressing and sealed with clear wax. (I’m impatient and didn’t wait for the stain to fully dry before moving onto the next step. That’s why the white paint looks like it has a bit of a brownish tinge to it).
I have another quick and easy wall art project to share with you soon, but in the meantime, you can check out the rest of the #MonthlyDIYChallenge projects below.
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How lovely are these! You have just given me the perfect idea for a client, Amy! Thanks 🙂
Thanks Rebekah!! Can’t wait to see what you come up with for your client!
Hey Amy – LOVE your arrow art! Love your quick and easy tutorial too. These cuties can be displayed anywhere and make a statement!
Thanks so much, Vicki and Jenn!
Ohhh these are perfect staging props! I hear you about pricey wall art. DIY all the way!
Thanks Bre!
I actually really liked the brown twinge to the white paint! These turned out great!
Thanks Rose!
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these!
Thanks Kristi!
These are awesome! I am SO with you; I hate the price tag of wall art. I was thinking about it and don’t think I’ve paid money for wall art since I first bought this house six years ago. Everything else has been DIY! Your arrows are totally great and the distressing really makes them look amazing. I like the “trick” (intentional or not), of not waiting for the stain to fully dry to get an even more distressed look. Pinning!
Thanks Bre! You come up with some awesome DIY wall art projects so it doesn’t surprise me you haven’t purchased any!
These came out so cute! I really love them together as a series! They add such charm. Well done, lady! 🙂
Thanks so much, Christina!
These are so great, Amy! Why shell out the money for wall art when you can make something super cute yourself? Nice job!
Thanks Sarah 🙂
These are so great! I love that you freehanded the arrows instead of using stencils or decals. And the distressing you did was the perfect finishing touch.
Thanks Katie!
Cute cute cute! These would work so well in my sunroom!! 🙂
Thanks Erin!
Love these! So simple but make a big impact! Great job!
Thanks so much, Misty!
These are perfect, Amy! I’m all over arrow decor right now and I love these! The short and simple tutorial is great and this is definitely something I will have time to try out. Thanks for sharing!
Shonee
http://www.hawthorneandmain.com
Thanks Shonee!
Amy, these are so cool! I love arrows but like you I’ve been having a hard time finding them at a reasonable price. This solution is perfect! I need these for my office gallery art wall something fierce 🙂 Hugs, CoCo
Wow this is beautiful! I love it
These are absolutely perfect! I love the weathered look to the paint and I think your impatience to let the stain dry added the perfect rustic touch. 🙂
I dislike how much wall art costs too Amy:). Your painted arrows look great! Take care, Tara
These are SO cute!! I love arrows, and I just might have to make these for our new house. Maybe I need to do a whole arrow wall… 😉