Power drill
Orbital sander with 120 grit sandpaper disc
Saw of your choice: mitre saw, circular saw, jigsaw or handsaw
Tape measure and pencil
3mm wood drill bit
22mm spade drill bit
Medium spreader clamps
Offcut/unused pine pieces
2 x 22mm x 44mm x 956mm (long sides)
2 x 22mm x 44mm x 250mm (vertical side bars for handle)
2 x 22mm x 44mm x 220mm (short sides)
1 x 22mm x 220mm x 1000mm (base)
1 x 20mm x +/– 925mm dowel rod (handle)
Chalk paint or wood stain and paintbrush
Wood glue
Wood filler and scraper
Wood screws 4mm x 40mm (+/– 10)
PREP WORK befor your start making your Farmhouse Centerpiece
How to build your DIY Farmhouse Centerpiece
Step 1
Straight cuts
Use a handsaw or a power tool such as a jigsaw, circular saw or mitre saw to cut the “offcuts” or “scrap wood” to size, or carefully select offcut pine wood pieces that match the measurements required.
Step 2 :
Sand
Sand down the wood pieces until edges and surfaces are smooth, and wipe off excess sawdust.
Step 3 :
Mark out drill guide lines
Lay out your project and all the cut wood in the final position to see whether all the pieces fit well together.
Place the base first, then the long and short sides at the edges of the base, and the vertical handles at the centre inner edge on either end. The dowel rod will become the handle.
Use the 4 sides of the project – 2 x 22mm x 44mm x 220mm and 2 x 22mm x 44mm x 956mm – and mark with a pencil the line for the pilot holes to be drilled.
Step 4
Drill
Insert the 3mm wood drill bit into the drill, and create pilot holes in the base, within the marked lines and along the side edges.
Place an old scrap piece of wood under the project wood you are drilling into, to protect the work surface and limit wood splitting.
On the end edges of the 2 x 22mm x 44mm x 250mm vertical pieces for the dowel handle, draw a square (about 3cm x 3cm), then draw diagonal lines from corner to corner to find the centre.
Insert the 22mm spade drill bit and drill a hole in each piece, stopping just before the spade bit breaks through to the other end. These holes will hold the dowel (handle) in place. .
Step 5
Assemble the centrepiece.
Apply wood glue to the edges of the wood pieces where they will be joined together.
Clamp into final positions, then insert a driver bit into the power drill, and drive the wood screws from the underside into the pilot holes to secure the pieces together.
Wipe away excess wood glue.
Cut the dowel rod to size, apply wood glue on ends, and slide the dowel into the holes on either side of the vertical sides of the project. Once in position, use shorter wood screws to secure
in place.
Step 6
Paint/stain.
Use a wood stain/paint colour of your choice to paint the wood. To create an aged effect, use a dry brush to apply the paint, then, working in sections, wipe away some of the paint with a rag, so that the wood grain becomes visible. Apply only one coat for this type of look.
