Over The Apple Tree: Family Love Carved Tree

Carved Names Into Tree...

...makes a unique wall hanging

I saw an idea where someone had carved a heart into a tabletop and the idea for this project evolved from there. I've been wondering what to do with some huge logs we had left in the back yard from an old cut down tree. They've just been sitting there forever and I'm so glad I was finally able to recycle it into something fun.

Family Love Carved Tree, make a unique wall hanging from an old tree by Over The Apple Tree

Figure out the size and shape of wood you want.

After we got the cut of wood we liked, time to smooth out all those marks from the chainsaw. This is the hardest, but most important part. Remember, if you stain, it's going to creep into the parts you miss. The bark fell off the sides so I brushed off anything that was loose and just left it.

Mark where you want names with a pencil. Since I wanted the heart to be more prominent and also look like it had been there longer, I used a wood burning tool to go over that part. Then, using a knife, I carved out my kid's names. I wanted it to look like the heart was there first and then we added the kids names later.

When you have it the way you want, stain and polyurethane the whole thing(even the sides). I also added a saw-tooth hanger. Since the wood was a little soft, the tiny nails that came with the hanger to attach it were just sliding out. I had to use longer nails and then bend them up.