Altered Wood Cutting Board Craft
Alter an Unusable Kitchen Item Into an Easy Mixed-Media Art Project
Old wooden cutting boards, particularly those with numerous cuts, are no longer usable in a kitchen. Unless, of course, they are transformed into mixed-media art!
I think everyone, at one time or another has used his or her wooden cutting board to the point that it is no longer a functional kitchen item. Rather than throwing the cutting board away, why not turn it into a piece of art? It is a canvas waiting for alteration! Let’s explore!
Note: Just because this came from the kitchen, the alterations do not have to be themed around food, kitchen themes, or cooking. Let this blank canvas open your imagination up to more possibilities.
For this altered mixed media art project, you will need the following items:
- Unusable wooden cutting board
- Sand paper
- Decoupage medium
- Primer
- Acrylic paint
- Paintbrushes
- Small containers of water
- Collage materials
- Ephemera (buttons, charms, game pieces, etc.)
Follow these simple instructions for completing this altered mixed media project:
- Using the sandpaper, smooth out all the rough edges and areas of the cutting board as much as possible. Be sure to wear eye protection and, if possible, work on this step outdoors.
- Prime over the entire front of the piece, including the sides and edges. This will create a canvas-like surface that will allow for better paint adhesion. This is another step that might be best work on outdoors. Allow the primer to dry completely (could take up to 24 hours if several coats are needed for full coverage).
- Once the primer is dry, start painting! Create a themed piece or a random paint collage. There are no rules here, so the choices are endless. Create a color border, paint the sides a dark color to give it dimension, and create interesting line work over the color border. Allow the paint to dry completely. Speed drying time through use of a heat gun or hair dryer.
- Add ephemera, and collage materials throughout the piece. Create button borders; add beads to areas of the painting where extra detail could be used, and affix interesting papers.
- Seal over the entire piece with one or two layers of decoupage medium. Allow the medium to dry completely.
Additional ideas for embellishments:
- Try wood burning techniques on all or some of the area of the cutting board.
- Use leather stains, rather than priming and painting.
- Attach weighty kitchen themed items like whisks, wooden spoons, spatulas, and other kitchen gadgets.
- Collage using recipe cards, spice jar labels, and shopping lists.
- Create a family photo collage or “scrapbook-like” layout on the cutting board (affix the photos using photo corners so they can be changed out easily).
As you can see, this altered art project can take a lot twists and turns depending on the theme and use for the cutting board. This is also a great opportunity for creating a unique gift for that person who has it all or that prefers handmade gifts!
