Wall art is my favorite way to add whimsy to a space. Mixing art prints, using dimensional pieces like baskets, and a little DIY is my formula for perfect walls. I wanted a large rustic and southwestern inspired art piece to hang in between two windows in our living room a while back, so I came up with this rustic wall art piece. It's relatively simple and requires minimal tools and skills, yet packs a powerful decorative punch!

What You'll Need

1 x 4 x 6 #2 & Better Kiln Dried Whitewood Board S4S x 10
7/16 in. x 4 ft. x 8 ft. OSB Sheathing
Minwax 22240 Wood Finish Interior Wood Stain, Special Walnut, 1/2-Pint
Minwax 22718 1/2 Pint Wood Finish Interior Wood Stain, Ebony
Dirty Sock/Rag
1 1/4 long screws x 36
Wood Glue
Large D Rings x 2
World's Strongest Picture Hanger
PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)

How Long It Takes

It's a weekend project. Cutting the wood is quick, but measuring out the angles and distances was a bear. Then there's dry time to account for with the stain.

Rustic Wall Art Tutorial

To Start, Hubby cut across the shortest length of the plywood 40 inches in then in half. We had 2 pieces that were 40 by 24 inches. This is the base in which our whitewood board will be adhered to.

I then found the center of each of the 10 boards. The top and bottom boards did not need any cuts- Yay! For 2 boards, I started from that center point, measured out 12 inches left and right and marked. Another 2 boards measured out 18 inches from the center and marked. Another 2 boards and measured out 24 inches. The last 2 boards measured out 30 inches. Hubby cut 45 degree angles at those marks (Or at least the best we could, I did use an old school protractor for this but we were working with a flaky circular saw and many cuts were not perfect).


Next I stained the outer boards the darker stain. And the inner ones, I stained the lighter color. I then allowed them to dry. (It seemed tempting to skip the wait but I didn't want to transfer the stain accidentally.)

The next step was to lay the boards on a level surface and wood glue them in place. I would recommend using something to securely clamp them in place while the glue dries if you attempt this project. At the time, we didn't own any clamps so I used weights but I don't recommend it.



Once dried, hubby reinforced the boards with the 1 1/4 inch screws. He then attached the large D rings to the backs. We then ensured our heavy duty, ultra heavy load picture hanging hardware was installed correctly.


I could hardly contain myself when we got it up on the wall. I had to Instagram it immediately. Ha. I promise, things look much better there these days!