TIMELESS CHARACTER

Well-worn finishes and upcycled materials mix with muted colors and rich textures to elevate wintry icons into instant heirlooms.

JOLLY OLD ST. NICK

Made from salvaged pallet wood, Santa, opposite, seems aged with love. Distressing the paint accentuates the keepsake quality. About 21×14 inches, Santa gets more character from his dimensional hat, eyebrows, nose, and mustache, left. A jingle bell at the hat tip is the final flourish.

DESIGNER: MARY MACKENDREE

MATERIALS

☐ Salvaged wooden pallet

☐ Planer

☐ Scroll saw or jigsaw

☐ 6x11-inch piece of 1/4-inch-thick plywood

☐ 1/2-inch-thick piece of scrap wood (nose)

☐ Thin pieces of scrap wood (eyebrows)

☐ Drill and drill bits

☐ Acrylic paint: dark red, white, desired skin color, pink, black

☐ Artists brushes

☐ Sandpaper

☐ Wood glue

☐ Staple gun and staples

☐ Clear acrylic spray finish: matte

☐ 18-gauge black wire

☐ 1 3/4-inch-diameter jingle bell

☐ Wire cutters

☐ Picture-hanging wire

Note: When using salvaged wood from a wooden pallet, carefully disassemble the pallet and remove all nails and staples before starting your project. Use a planer to plane all salvaged wood to the same thickness before cutting the pieces.

CUT THE PIECES

From reclaimed wood, cut:

■ 4-25x21-inch boards (head)

■ 2-25x10-inch boards (hat)

■ 1-25x6-inch board (hat)

■ 1-25x12-inch board (mustache)

■ 1-3x10-inch board (hat brim)

■ 1-2x4-inch board (hat support)

From plywood, cut:

■ 1 1/2x11-inch board

■ 1 1/2x9-inch board

■ 1 1/2x8-inch board

■ 1 1/2x6-inch board

CUT OUT THE SANTA

Trace the patterns in the Pattern Pack onto white paper; cut out. Lay the boards for head side by side. With the boards aligned vertically, trace head pattern onto the boards. Use a scroll saw to cut out the pieces for the head.