Hand Lettered Rustic Holiday Hanging

Does anyone remember the ‘Do The Work’ Wall hanging I created earlier this year? Well it was only sort of a new creation… this rustic holiday hanging was 99% inspired by this one. I made this baby last Christmas and shared it over at The Little Umbrella. Now that it’s back out for the season, I’ve been itching to share it with you all! I love how neutral it is, the rustic look of the stick it hangs from, the raw edges, and the speckled snow like pattern. It’s just making my Christmas style come together, really. The only thing? Looking back at your lettering after a year of practice makes you realize how far you’ve come/ how much your style has changed! But I still love it. So today I’m going to share the how-to and the free downloadable template for you to create your own.

Here’s what you’ll need to create your own:

• Drop cloth or thick canvas
• Stick, cut to size (branch cutters are the perfect tool to cut sticks this size)
• Hot glue
• Scissors suitable for fabric
• Sawtooth hanger and hammer
• Black fabric paint (I’m a total sucker for Tulip Soft Matte Black)
• Fine stiff paint brush
• Pencil

Start by cutting your canvas or drop cloth to the size you wish for your hanging. Make sure your branch is long enough to accommodate whatever size you choose- I had cut mine before I decided what I would use them for so that totally made up my wall hanging size for me. Drop cloth is an affordable alternative to traditional canvas and it has some flecks of colour in it that can be charming- but you’ve heard me rave about drop cloth already, haven’t you? Once your canvas is cut to size, sketch your lettering directly on the canvas with a pencil. You can click here to get my super rough template, or make a design of your own. To transfer the template, colour with a pencil on the reverse of the printed template, then turn it over and trace firmly over the letters to transfer a light line.

When you’re happy with your sketched design, you can start painting! My all-time favourite fabric paint is this Tulip Soft Matte Black. If you skip the ironing/setting step, it has the same appeal as graphite paint. Start by painting over your pencil lines lightly, then fill in the lines slowly (downstrokes should be a bit thicker than upstrokes). A stiff bristled paint brush will help you get into the weave of the drop cloth or canvas. After your design has been painted, you can dress it up a bit with snow-like dots and a pointed edge, like I did. Or, get creative and mist glitter over it, add trim to the bottom, or any other embellishment you’d like! I have to fess up… I totally got black paint where I hadn’t planned and turned that into a speckled pattern. But I’m oh so glad I did, I love the look now that it’s done! Happy accidents, right?

Now it’s looking good! Wait for your paint to dry before you add your branch for hanging. Using a hot glue gun, work your way across the branch adding glue, then press the canvas on. Since the branch will likely not be flat/straight, it’s better to press the canvas onto the branch so it adheres completely. If you have a thinner fabric, use a silicone spatula to press the fabric on so you don’t get any hot glue on your fingers (from experience!).  When your branch is adhered to the canvas, trim the canvas as close as possible to the glue so no raw edge shows above your branch. Then, go ahead and hammer in your sawtooth hanger (my favourite way to hang all these crazy wall hangings).

What do you think?! Would this fit with your holiday decor? This year the chair in the photo has moved to our basement (I miss it!), but the pillow and wallhanging still work perfectly with the simple rustic holiday decor we’ve got going on. I actually have another (would you believe it) drop cloth DIY I’ve been saving to share with you coming up soon… It’s a drop cloth Christmas around here ;)