In the weeks leading up to Easter, I’d wanted to make something that showcased a cross. It’s always nice to have a few Easter-specific decorations to add to the overall spring décor.

I’ve liked the look of the nail art that took Pinterest by storm earlier this year. You’ve probably seen it; usually it’s a state outline such as this one. Given its materials, to me, this would be the perfect means for my Easter cross.

I chose to work with jute for this project (I’ve got tons left over from my wrapped Easter eggs). I’m sure you could use twine, yarn, or string as well.

What you need:

Wood- we have plenty of remnants from which to choose

Fine grit sandpaper

Circular Saw- if you need to cut your wood

Stain or paint

Stain rag or paintbrush

Clear finish- I used some that we had on hand

Nails

Hammer

Jute

Step 1:

Using a circular saw cut your wood down to the size/shape you want it to be. I settled on a good old fashioned rectangle. This will be leaning against a wall on a shelf, so I didn’t make it that large, only 10.5 x 13. Give your wood a quick sand to ensure there are no jagged pieces anywhere.

Step 2:

Stain or paint your wood. I wanted to keep the natural look of the wood so I decided on stain. I’ve used Minwax before and was happy with the results—this time I went with the color Provincial. Follow the directions on your stain can to make sure you use the correct procedure. After your stain dries, apply a coat of finish. Let dry completely- I decided to let it dry overnight and pick up with the rest of the project the next day.

Step 3:

I did a quick sketch of my cross on paper so I could choose the shape/size I wanted it to be. I also made sure to decide on where I wanted my nails to go. I settled with only doing nails in the corners of the cross—quite different from the state nail art that uses tons of nails.

Step 4:

Lay your sketch on top of your wood. You could just hammer in your nails where you want them to go, and when finished, tear away your paper. However, I chose to use an awl to mark where my nails would go. I then took off the paper and got to hammering. Remember not to nail them all the way down—you need to have nail exposed to wrap the jute around!

Step 5:

Now that you have your outline/nails in place, start wrapping. Make sure you tie a knot around your first and last nails so it doesn’t unravel. I chose to keep my wrapping to a minimum because I wanted this design to be simplistic and not too “perfect” looking.

      I’m quite happy with how this came out. It’s a nice nod to the meaning behind the holiday.