Deck your halls

Craft with Resene, from the Australian Women's Weekly

Hang your stockings with pride this year by making these simple yet beautiful hangers. Marsha Smith shows you how.

Project Description

What you'll need:

1m pine panel (10mm thick)
Sharp saw l Fine sandpaper
Resene Colorwood stain. We used Resene Touch Wood (see note below)
Large and small fine paintbrushes
Clean, lint-free cloth
Pencil and ruler
Testpot of Resene White paint
Stick-on or self-adhesive gems (pearls)
Coat hooks and screws
Screwdriver
Picture hooks (if using removable hangers, make sure they are strong enough to hold the contents of your Christmas stockings)

Note: The first task when selecting a wood stain colour is to identify the type of timber you will be staining. The timber’s natural colour will affect the final finish. Different varieties and grades of wood will absorb the stain differently, so it is important that you consider this when selecting your colour. Clean brushes in warm soapy water before the stain or paint has set.

Tip: To give the panels a glossier finish, add a coat of Resene Aquaclear.

Cut your pine panel into 3 x 27cm long pieces. You may like to get your local hardware store to do this for you if you don’t have a suitable saw.
Lightly sand the timber to remove any surface imperfections. Always sand in the direction of the grain because sanding causes tiny grooves that may be highlighted by the stain. Make sure all the dust is removed. It is important to have a perfectly clean surface before staining.
For an even pigment, stir the stain thoroughly before applying. Using a large paintbrush, generously apply a coat of stain to your panel. Make sure you use smooth, long, even strokes and don’t allow puddles to form as this will affect the finished look. While the Resene Colorwood stain is still wet, rub it in one direction with a clean cloth to remove excess and create an even finish.

The longer the stain is left on the surface, the deeper the colour will be.
Set aside to dry thoroughly.
Photocopy the templates provided in the PDF download below (or design your own, such as the tree above). Enlarge by 220 per cent to achieve the correct scale.
Generously rub pencil on the back of your photocopy where the outline of the image is. (The darker the pencil rubbing the better the transfer.)
With the pencil side down, place the photocopied image on a pine panel, positioning it towards the top of the panel and ensuring it sits centrally across the width. Trace over the shape with pencil, pressing firmly. This will leave an imprint on the wood.
Stir the Resene White paint, then use a fine brush to paint your shape white. Leave to dry completely, then stick on decorative gems to highlight certain areas.
Use a pencil and ruler to evenly mark where the coat hooks will go and screw firmly into place with a screwdriver.
Use picture hooks to display your festive panels, then hang up your stockings!

Project by Marsha Smith, December 2017

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Projects from the Australian Women's Weekly
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