DIY Driftwood Sailboat Mantel & a linkup!

Hey y'all! Today I am here with a mantel makeover for you! I love changing my mantel up seasonally - but this isn't really a winter mantle. Winter and fall aren't really on my decor radar - I am a spring & summer coastal girl! So, here is my take on a winter mantel featuring DIY Driftwood Sailboats!

You can read about how we extended our standard fireplace to the ceiling here. 

 

I started with a completely blank mantel, thanks to clearing off the Christmas garland. I love starting from a blank slate! I am trying to focus on no-spend DIY for the month of January since we are planning to kick of a major patio project ($$$) in the next month or so.

So, I dug around in the garage and came up with my favorite supply - driftwood. I actually intended to make little driftwood sailboat Christmas ornaments, but never got around to it, so I decided to make big ones for the mantel.

Click here to pin this project to your Pinterest board!

DIY Driftwood Sailboats

What you need:

• 2 pieces of driftwood (per boat)
• Hot glue gun + hot glue (my favorite hot glue gun in the universe)
• Fabric for sail (fabric that doesn't unravel much is ideal)
• Fabric scissors

What you do:

Pick 2 pieces of driftwood that complement each other - one for the horizontal base, one for the vertical sail mast.

Lay out your sail fabric with the mast piece centered on it. Be sure that it is cut to the proper height and width for your sail. Fold the piece in half horizontally (hot dog style) and cut from the bottom unfolded corner to the top folded corner to create a perfect triangle.

Use hot glue to attach the mast to the right side of the sail fabric.

**NOTE** if you have a wide sail, you might need to add a second, horizontal piece of driftwood to the bottom edge of the sail fabric. do this on the back (the wrong side of the fabric). I only had to do it on the large striped boat, which was larger and less stiff fabric than the others.

Use hot glue to attach the mast to the base of the boat. Hold it in place firmly until the glue becomes milky white for most secure results. You could also add a small nail or wrap the join with rope if the glue is not strong enough.

Click here to pin this project to your Pinterest board!

Be sure to check out all of the other bloggers participating in the link up:

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Are you redecorating your mantel after the holiday season?