DIY Scrap Wood Cathedrals
Level:
Advanced
How-To:
Christmas Decorations
Seasonal Event:
Christmas
Scrap Wood Cathedrals - Home & Family
MATERIALS:
- ½” X 4” scrap or reclaimed wood cut to:
- 38” x2 for the gable
- 24” x 4 for the buttresses
- 25” x 2 for the pinnacles
- 48” x 2 if only making the single cathedral gable
- 1” x 3” wood cut to:
- 4” x3 for the brackets
- 29” x1 for the backing piece
- Provided window and door stencils (Download here)
- Cardstock
- X-acto knife and cutting mat
- Paint
- Paintbrush
- Faux garland and small wreath
- Drill
- Screws ¼” shorter than the thickness of the 1” x 3” and reclaimed wood together
- Circular saw
- Ruler
- Pencil
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Cut the 1” x 3” pieces to size. Three 4” lengths to act as brackets to secure the top of the doubled boards for the gables and buttresses together. One 29” length to act as the support piece that attaches all of the pieces at the bottom.
- Attach each set of cut pieces together, two 38” pieces together for the gable and two sets of two 24” pieces, one for each buttress. Place the 4” bracket piece centered on the split between 1/3 down from the top then drill through into each piece of wood to suture them together.
- Mark the angles to cut on each piece of wood.
- For the center gable, mark each outer edge at 26” from the bottom. Use a straight edge to draw a line from that point on each side to the center of the top.
- For the buttresses, mark 14” up from the bottom on the left side of one buttress and the right side of the other since the angles on these mirror each other. Use a straight edge to draw a line from the 14” mark to the opposite top corner on each buttress.
- For the pinnacles, mark the center at the top, then mark both sides at 14” on each. Use a straight edge to draw connecting lines from the mark on each side to the center of the top to create a point. Repeat on the other pinnacle.
- Cut the angles along the lines you’ve drawn
- Sand any rough edges from the cuts.
- Arrange the pieces face down on your work surface. The gable in the center, the buttresses on the sides with the higher edge touching the gable, then a pinnacle on each end.
- Secure the back together at the bottom. Place the 29” backing piece of 1” x 3” horizontally along the bottom about 4” from the edge and add a screw through it into each individual piece of wood.
- If using the window and door stencils, print them on cardstock and use an x-acto knife to cut them out.
- Place the stencil, dab the paint on.
- Allow the paint to dry, set the cathedral into your décor and enjoy!
