Old Piece of Boat Drift Wood Into Wall Decoration

I've been meaning to do this for a while. It is actually from last summer. During my sailing camp, this piece of driftwood floated by and I picked it up. I finally got to take it home after the three of us in the boat argued over who would keep it. I wanted to do something with it, so I decided to restore it and hang it on my wall. Maybe I'll use the cleats on the wood to hang stuff in thee future.

It was a fun little project and it brings back memories of my sailing camp.

I don't know if you will be able to exactly replicate this process, but you could

Supplies

I used:

- Semi-gloss Red Spray Paint

- An Electric Sander (or sand paper)

- A screwdriver

- Four 1-inch Black Screws

- Transparent Wood Stain (Or some Oil) For a Richer Effect

- 1 Sawtooth picture hanger With Nails

- 1 Nail (To Put in your wall)

Step 1: Removing the Cleats

First I unscrewed the cleats and put them and the rusty nails aside, to prepare the board for sanding. I also decided to rinse off the cleats to get off any dirt.

Step 2: Sand Down the Wood

Then I took my electric sander and smoothed out the wood. I made sure to go around the edges.

Step 3: Oiling the Wood

Next, I took my Transparent Stain and a Rag and spread it over the newly-sanded wood. Make sure to do this wearing gloves and to not get the stain on anything. You can also use a brush to apply the stain. Once I finished, I let it completely dry in the sun.

Step 4: Painting Cleats

I then set up some cardboard on the grass and placed my cleats on the cardboard. I used the red spray paint to paint the front of the cleats. I made sure not to get it on myself. I let the front dry and then flipped the cleats over, so I could paint the other sides. This can also be done with normal paint and a brush. When I painted the other sides and it was completely dry, I put the cleats off to the side.

Step 5: Choosing Screws

Next I swapped the old, rusty screws for newer black ones that were the same length. I chose 1" screws so that they would not stick out through the back. Then I threw away the rusty screws.

Step 6: Attaching Cleats

Now that it was all dry, the only thing left to do was to attach the cleats using the screws. I took my cleats and lined them up where they originally were and inserted the new screws. I then took my screwdriver and tightened the screws until the cleat was firm. I did the same with the other side.

Step 7: Attaching It to the Wall

Now that the wood was complete with the cleats attached, it was time to mount it to the wall. I took my sawtooth picture hanger and nailed it to the back of the board. I made sure that it was aligned so that it wouldn't be crooked when hung up. I then hammered a nail into my wall where I wanted the wood to hang. Then I positioned the sawtooth hanger on the nail and let the wood hang. It was now complete!

Now I have a cool wooden board off of a boat on my wall! It looks great and in my opinion, it was a successful restoration!