Down Oxford Street: DIY Wood Shim Wall Art

Do you have that one wall in your house that whatever you hang on it just doesn't look right? Well, I have a few in my house and the wall next to my couch was one of them. I wanted something long and big to cover most of the area, and after seeing this piece from Shanty 2 Chic, I knew I had to make it.

I ended up having most of the wood from previous projects so I only spent around $8 for the whole thing!

Here is what you'll need to create this piece:

2x4 plywood - I cut mine to 1 1/2 x 4.

2 packs of shims - The longer ones

2 - 1x3 furring trim

2 - 1x2 furring trim

nail gun

wood glue

jig saw

stain

white paint

** I completely forgot to take pictures of some steps but I will do my best to explain them. You're smart, you'll figure it out ;)

I used a piece of plywood that I had leftover from a previous project. You can buy and use nicer wood for this.

Find the middle and draw a line straight down. Start putting your shims on the board by gluing and nailing them on. Shims are thicker on one side and gradually thin out. Rotate the shims as you're applying them on to give it texture.

Here is where I missed taking the pictures because while making this, I was also making sure my son wasn't doing anything crazy. Can you see his arm in the down right corner above? :)

Here is what I did.

After gluing and stapling all the shims to the board, I used a jig saw to cut all the extra wood that was hanging over the edges.
Cut and nail in the 1x3 trim on all the edges.
Cut and nail in the 1x2 trim on the inside of the piece, along the 1x3 trim.

I stained the whole thing using a sponge applicator, let it sit for 10 minutes, then worked the stain into the wood with a clean rag.

Let it dry for a few hours.

I wanted to give this piece a little more character, so I decided to white wash it. I love white washing because it's so easy and gives the piece a unique color.

All you need is 1 part paint and 3 parts water.