Do you have a home near the beach, or just love nautical home decorations?  Or perhaps you need a special gift for someone else who does?  Make this wood cut-out anchor craft!

I would love to have a home close to the beach.  I would decorate it completely nautical and stroll the beach every morning or evening looking for anything the sea happened to have washed ashore that I could add to my collection.

I don’t have that home near the beach yet, but that doesn’t mean I can’t keep dreaming!

This craft does require a couple power tools….a drill and a jigsaw and knowledge of how to use them properly and safely.  An option to the drill and jigsaw method is provided later!

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Things you’ll need for this craft:

• A piece of plywood – I purchased a 24 x 24 inch piece of 5/8 inch plywood
• Material to be used for backing – I chose a piece of thick cardboard used for cutting picture mats
• Drill
• Jigsaw
• Sandpaper
• Putty
• Paint
• Paintbrush
• Clear wax
• Rope – 5/8 inch and ½ inch
• Glue gun
• Spray adhesive

To create your nautical wall-hanging:

1. Find a template for the cut out shape you wish to use.  I chose an anchor shape for my project and I have included a printable template for it.  But you can choose anything you feel will coordinate best with your décor.

2. Trace the shape onto the plywood

3. Using your drill, place a hole where you wish to begin cutting with your jigsaw and also at any tight corners to enable turning the jigsaw.

4.  Starting at one of the holes you just made with your drill bit, insert the jigsaw blade and begin cutting following the shape you traced onto the board.

5.  When the shape is completely cut out, sand the edges very well to create a smooth finish.  If you end up with any notches in your board (sometimes the plywood will chip around the cut made by the jigsaw), use putty to fill those places.  Allow the putty to dry and sand it smooth.

6.  Measure your backing and cut to fit the back of your board.

7.  I chose to use a spray adhesive to glue my backing to the board.  It worked great, so I suggest using it, but you could choose to use another type.  If you’re using the spray, be sure and put something under your board to protect the surface you’re working on.

8. After your backing is on and secure, paint your board with one coat of paint.  I chose chalk paint for my project.  I also chose to paint the back of my board as well, but this is personal preference.

9.  When the paint is dry, use a fine sandpaper to sand off some of the paint to create an aged look.

10.  Apply clear wax in one section at a time, wiping off the excess wax as you go.  I used Anne Sloan wax.

11.  Allow wax to dry.

12. Decide where you want to start gluing rope to the inside of the anchor.  Using a hot glue gun, begin putting glue along the inside edge of the anchor, one small area at a time and fill in the area with the ½ inch rope.

13.  Continue to work your way around the anchor in small sections, gluing and pressing the rope in.  After a few rounds it will start to get a little tricky to work the rope in.  In some places you will probably have to cut small pieces to fill in tight holes; I know I did.

14. The next step is to decide on a nautical knot you want to use to hang your anchor with.  We chose a “bowline on a bight” knot.

15.  Measure out the length of 3/8 inch cord you will need to tie the knot and trim the outside edge of the board.

16.  Tie the knot.  Determine the center of the top of the board.  Begin here to place a line of glue using the hot glue gun.  Secure the knot to the board with the glue and working in small sections, secure the rope to the board with the glue.

17.  When you reach the bottom of the board, determine where you will need to cut your rope and secure the ends so they won’t unravel.  I wrapped white string tightly around the rope in each place I was planning to cut, prior to cutting the ends, to keep them from unraveling.  Glue the ends securely to the board.

And there you have it, a very nice nautical craft!

Do you love the beach & the nautical look? Complement your décor with this anchor & rope craft! #nautical #anchor Click To Tweet

If you would prefer not to have to use the drill and jigsaw to cut the pattern in the wood, try this option:

Trace your pattern on the board and glue your rope or whatever you decide to use on top of the board.  So the rope would sit on top of the board instead of being set into the board.  Different style, same great looking results!

This post will be shared on the link parties found on my “Where I Party” page!!

[pdf-embedder url=”http://aginglikeafinewine.com/wp-content/uploads/securepdfs/2016/05/Anchor-template.pdf”]

Download and print the above anchor template!