Do you have any used wood cutting boards that you don't know what to do with? This tutorial will show you how to easily repurpose theminto decorative DIY word art for your kitchen!
CREATE | January 31, 2015

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It is no secret I enjoy transforming things I find at thrift stores and antique shops into something useful. I've done it with glass vases, picture frames, and sauce pots, among other things. These projects are some of my favorites and have cost practically nothing to create stylish farmhouse style decor for my home.
Projects that are easy and take no time at all are ideal. Today's DIY meets all those qualifications.

Pottery Barn is a constant source of inspiration for me. As much as I love their products, I equally love the special items pictured that aren't for sale. You know, the things they add to make the rooms look more cozy and real. I saw this image, and knew that the boards on the wall were something I wanted to try myself....but in my own way.
PHOTO CREDIT: Pottery Barn
This project is so easy that it is difficult to even write a tutorial for it! The steps are pretty self explanatory. Aside from the time it takes the paint to dry, it can be completed in almost no time at all. And the idea can be customized for your own home, style, and whatever words you want to spell out.
LIKE THIS POST? THEN YOU'LL LOVE THESE...
See how I STYLED A SHELF IN MY KITCHEN using these cutting boards.
And I've also updated this idea by using PIZZA BOARDS I found at an estate sale.

SOME THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN CREATING CUTTING BOARD WALL ART FOR THE KITCHEN
- Since these cutting boards were not old and beat up looking, I had to do a little damage myself. How to you distress a cutting board? By cutting on it of course! I cut over and over in different places, and beat up the wood a little along the edges.
- Along with being distressed from cutting, old boards typically are different shades of wood based on what has been cut on them in the past. I used three different colors of stain (although two colors ended up looking pretty close to being the same). You may want your cutting boards to be the same color, or you may even want to paint them. The choice is entirely up to you.
- Also, if you don't want to permanently glue something onto an antique board, you can apply the letters (as long as they aren't too heavy) with double sided tape.
- Painting and distressing your letters can be customized according to your preference. Use different styles of letters rather than ones that match. Stain them rather than painting. Skip the distressing if you like a clean look. And use any word that you can think of that would be appropriate for the kitchen. Just make sure you buy enough cutting boards for whatever you want to spell.
YUM
COOK
SLICE
CHOP
- The boards I used were different heights, and I knew that I would be staggering them on the wall. So, I lined them up how they would be hanging and then glued the letters on so that they would be in a straight line instead of the boards being in a straight line.
Here is how to create this DIY Kitchen Decor Using Cutting Boards for your own home....

DIY CUTTING BOARD WALL ART FOR THE KITCHEN
SUPPLIES
- Wood cutting boards
- Unfinished wood letters
- Paint (I love using Fusion Mineral Paint for projects like this.)
- Glue
- Jute twine
- Stain
HOW TO MAKE DIY CUTTING BOARD WALL ART
STEP 1: Distress your cutting boards if necessary by cutting into them or beating them repeatedly with a hammer. Omit this step if your cutting boards are old and used or if you would prefer a clean look.
STEP 2: Stain the boards in coordinating colors. Again, this step can be skipped if you are happy with the way your cutting boards look.
STEP 3: Paint the wood letters in your choice of color. When the paint is dry, lightly sand the edges of the wood letters to distress them.
STEP 4: When the letters are painted (and sanded), simply glue them onto the boards.
STEP 5: To finish the art off, wrap jute twine around the neck of each handle a few times and tie it off in a knot.


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