In this Instructable I’m going to show you how I made an animal cut-out into reclaimed wood and placed a picture behind it.

I really enjoyed the process of creating this wall art, it was very easy and fun to make.

Check out my YouTube video for more detailed explanation!

Now, let’s begin!

Materials:

Pine wood flooring board (your local hardware store)
Fiberboard (your local hardware store)
D-Ring picture frame hanger http://amzn.to/2sdkZXv
Walnut stain http://amzn.to/2EP9Nmo
Black spray paint http://amzn.to/2E8yE7Z
Wood glue http://amzn.to/2GX6Wc6
Glazier points http://amzn.to/2E8LNhb

Tools:

Step 1: Making a Board Out of Pine Wood Flooring.

A bunch of pine wood flooring boards were sitting in my basement for a long time, I guess they were patiently waiting for me use them in some project. So, I took one board and decided to make a wall art.

I took my jigsaw, inserted the appropriate blade, and cut 5 pieces 32 cm long. Here I don’t have to be precise, because as soon as I join them together I’ll cut the entire board again in order to get straight lines.

Once I’m done with all the cuts, I can join them together using only a wood glue and some clamps. The best thing about this kind of wood flooring is that the boards have tongue and groove joints, which makes joining much easier.

I clamped a scrap wood across the pieces to flatten the surface of the board. Before doing anything else, I left it to dry out.

Step 2: Making the Rest of the Cuts.

The board is completely dry, so I can cut it to its final size. I drew squared lines with a square ruler, and made the cuts with a jigsaw. In order to make straight lines I clamped down a wooden strip which served me as a guide.

Furthermore, I found a few pine strips in my workshop with a perfect width, which I can use to make a frame for this wall art. This time I made the cuts with a hand saw.

One more thing I need to take into consideration is creating a backing board for the picture.

I made it out of fiberboard. To determine its size I placed the pine board above and traced its outline, then I cut it with a hand saw.

Here are all the dimensions:

Cut-out board: 30 x 42 cm
Frame: 2 pieces 3 x 30 cm; 2 pieces 3 x 44 cm
Backing board: 29.6 x 41.6 cm

Step 3: Creating the Bear Cut-out.

Now I’m ready to make the bear cut-out.

First, I downloaded an outline of a bear from Pixabay website. This website offers more than million photos, vectors and illustrations which can be downloaded and used for free.

Second, I cut the bear, and then traced it with a pencil onto the back of the board. Here I was careful, because I didn’t want to be close to any knot while cutting, because it can fall out and ruin the entire project.

To avoid scratching and damaging the surface of the table, I placed the board onto a few scrap wood pieces. This way, the blade won’t touch the surface while cutting.

I wanted to make my life easier and to avoid too many curved cuts with the jigsaw. So, I drilled as many holes as possible with a 12 mm bit, making enough space for the jigsaw blade to fit in.

Then I cut the shape of the bear, trying to move the blade closer to the line.

Once I was done cutting, I removed the cut-out and finished the shape with a rasp. It did a great job with emphasizing all the details of the bear.

Step 4: Sanding All the Pieces.

The shape is complete, which means I can move on to sanding. Instead of using an orbital sander, I decided to use a sanding block. First I took an 80 grit sandpaper, and then finished with a 120 grit to make the surface uniform and smooth.

Step 5: Countersinking Holes Into the Pieces for the Frame.

The assembly will be done in the end, after applying finish, so that’s the main reason why I chose screws for that purpose. So, I countersunk some holes into all the pieces to prepare them for the next step.

Step 6: Applying Finish.

Applying finish is the most satisfying step of any project.

I chose a walnut stain for the cut-out board, and ebony stain for the frame. The walnut stain was totally on point, because it brings out the natural look of the wood.

On the other side, the ebony stain was a complete failure. After applying 2 coats, it was still too light, so I decided to spray paint it with a black color. I ended up really liking it.

Step 7: Assembling the Pieces.

Next, I can assemble the pieces.

I placed 2 layers of fiberboard, and laid the cut-out board above. This way I made enough space for the backing board and for the hanger as well.

Then I clamped the frame onto the board and inserted some screws into the pre-drilled holes. The exposed screws turned out to be a great addition to the entire artwork.

Onto the backing board I attached a landscape illustration that I also downloaded from Pixabay. After positioning the picture in the right place, I attached it with a tape, to make it easily replaceable.

Then, I secured the backing board in place with some glazier points. If you want to switch out the artwork, they can be bent easily.

The last thing I need to do is to install a D-ring picture frame hanger on the back, and that’s it.

Step 8: Hanging It Onto to the Wall.

Now I can hang this piece of art onto the wall. It turned out wonderful.

I hope I inspired you to make an amazing wall art that you can adjust it to your needs. There are so many things you can change in this project, starting from the size, the shape, the color, just use your imagination and make a wonderful artwork that will impress everyone.

If you like this Instructable visit my YouTube channel, and watch the video for full experience, and also subscribe to never miss a project like this. Thank you!