DIY Centerpiece You Can Use Year Round

It’s no secret that I love farmhouse home decor. I also appreciate a good DIY project, obviously. The best kind of projects are ones that are simple, practical, and cheap. Which is why this table-top wooden box scores high on the do-it-yourself ratings. Simply switch out the decor inside of it and you are covered for every holiday and every season. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned crafter, you can follow our step-by-step tutorial to make your own DIY centerpiece that you can use the whole year through.

A Practical and Easy DIY Centerpiece

When I decide to tackle a DIY project I prefer to make things that I can get a lot of use out of. Initially, I made this centerpiece as a Christmas decor piece to top off my table because I didn’t feel the smaller centerpiece I was using made a big enough statement. And when I comes to Christmas I like to make a big statement.

It’s a simple wooden box but when filled with some Christmas greens and pine cones it becomes a beautiful farmhouse style piece.

After I had finished it I realized that all I had to do was switch out the decor inside the box to be able to use it all year. I’d say that makes it a pretty practical creation.

Plus, it’s a super easy DIY project that doesn’t require a lot of supplies. Keep scrolling for the full tutorial and get started on your own DIY centerpiece.

DIY Centerpiece Tutorial

What you will need:

• 1- 28” long 4”x 1” piece of wood
• 2- 28” long 3”x 1” pieces of wood
• 2- 7” long 3”x 1” pieces of wood
• Nails
• Wood glue (optional)
• White paint
• Dark brown, grey, or black paint or stain
• Medium grit sand paper

Step #1: Cut your wood.

You can find your wood at Home Depot or Lowe’s. I was able to grab a couple piece from the clearance pile at Home Depot. The advantage to that was it was a bottom dollar price. However, it did make the wood more difficult to works with.

Buying the regular priced wood is still quite inexpensive and will save you some hassle.

If you have a saw at home you can easily make the cuts there. Lucky for me my husband is pretty handy and made the cuts for me.

If you are not able to cut them yourself you can have an expert at Home Depot or Lowe’s cut them for you. Just be sure to check that all cuts are the right length before you leave the store. See the measurements above in the supply list, or customize them to fit your own table.

Step #2: Glue (optional) and nail together your wood pieces.

Start by joining together your three long boards. The two 3”x 1” boards should sit on the outside edge of your 4”x 1” board, which will be your bottom.

You can put a layer of glue first if you want. This is optional and something we (my husband and I) did because of the condition of our clearance boards, but if you have the glue its a good way to really secure your boards.

Then, nail your boards together. A set of small screws would work too if that’s what you have on hand.

Next, glue and nail on your ends. Now your box should be all together and ready to add a finish.

Step #3: Sand and paint your wood.

I gave my box a quick sanding before starting my finish. You can use a medium grit sand paper for this, or if you have an electric sander around you can use that instead. Wipe away any dust before painting.

Next, paint your piece with your white paint. I used regular acrylic craft paint and did two coats.

Step #4: Distress your paint finish.

To distress your painted finish you will need to grab your sand paper again. Or, if you are comfortable using an electric sander, you can use that instead.

With your sand paper (or sander) start sanding the edges and ends until the wood begins to show through. Do this until you get your desired appearance.

Step #5: Adding an aged look.

Adding an aged look to your wood gives your finish more contrast and enhances the distressed appearance. There are several methods for doing this but here is how I do it:

First choose a dark brown, gray, or black stain or paint. I used a dark brown stain.

Take a small paint brush and wipe a dollop of stain or paint onto a rag or disposable heavy duty paper towel (I call them garage towels).

Next, use your rag or towels to softly brush the paint or stain along the edges, ends, and wherever you want to add an aged appearance. Do this with light, quick motions and until you have applied the amount of aging you want.

The beautiful thing about this method is if you apply too much or want to lighten an area slightly, you can use your sand paper to blend it in.

Lastly, give your piece an all over light sanding. Your finish should now look similar to the picture above.

Step #6: Fill you box with decor.

Now comes the fun part: filling your box with your seasonal decor. As mentioned, I made this just before the holiday season so I filled mine with farmhouse-style Christmas decor. But After the holidays I switched some of it out for a few of the decor options below.

Here’s what I used:

• Mini pine trees (3)- I found mine at Hobby Lobby but you can also order HERE
• Lamb’s ear garland
• Pine cones- these I found in our neighborhood but if you can’t get them from nature you can buy them HERE

Of all of my DIY projects I’ve done recently I think this one is my favorite simply because I can get so much use out of it. The options for what you can put in your DIY centerpiece are endless.

For the holidays you can add:

• Any type of holiday greens
• ornaments
• a strand of battery operated lights
• candles
• berry garland

For the spring season:

• Eucalyptus garland
• Hydrangea stems
• Mason jars

For the summer season:

• Potted succulents
• Wooden candle holders
• Fern bush and baby’s breath

For the fall season

• Eucalyptus and willow garland
• White pumpkins
• Cotton stems

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