DIY Wooden Photo Block

This DIY Wooden Photo Block makes such a nice personalized gift! I made this one for my Honey as a gift for Father’s Day from our two baby boys. My husband cherishes sentimental gifts, so this was really the perfect idea for him and adds such a nice touch to his office. You can change out the text on the top to fit whoever your gift is for… ‘We Love Grandma’… or just the word ‘Memories’ or ‘Family’ would work great too!

Supply List

Scrap Wood (Mine were approximately 3 1/2″ x 18″, thick enough to stand on its side, and a thinner piece 1 1/2″ x 8″)

Detail Sander

White Acrylic Paint

Stain (I used Minwax Penetrating Stain, Special Walnut)

Foam Brush

Paint Brush

Cotton Cloth

Upholstery Tacks

Photos

Paint Marker

Hot Glue Gun

Here are the simple steps:

Begin by cutting your wood the desired lengthened and give it a quick sanding.

Then, using the white acrylic paint and a foam brush, cover the entire pieces of wood with a thin coat. It doesn’t have to look perfect, you will be firmly sanding it soon!

Now, it’s time to give it a good sand, especially be sure to sand the edges to give it a more rustic look.

This is how mine looked after the sanding. The more you sand, the more the stain will show through in the next step.

Using the stain and a paint brush, you will need to just barely dip your brush in the stain and blot it off on paper towels, so the brush is almost dry. Then quickly brush across your painted boards, and using the cotton cloth, wipe it clean immediately. You will get this beautiful rustic look.

You will need to let it dry for several hours.

While it is drying, you can prepare your photos and text.

I cut my black & white photos to 3 1/2″ squares and printed out ‘We Love Daddy’ in the font and size that would fit on my small piece of wood.

You will need to cut a template from your font. This is more easily done if you print on cardstock and use some small detail scissors.

Once you have your font drawn onto the wood, fill it in with a paint marker. I had to do several coats to cover the pen I used for tracing. If it is visible on your wood, it would be better to use a light pencil!