Halloween is almost here already! I can’t believe it!!! This is one of our favorite times of year, especially when it comes to decorating. I’ve done so many crafts in the past, from wreaths, to glowing eyes, and even random from yard decorations. This year, I wanted to make some wooden block decorations for our mantle. Since the wooden signs are pretty popular right now, I figured this might be a great way to make them, without paying a ton of money… and I was right!

I put my Fall decorations up early and leave them up well past Halloween is over. This craft is one that can be used all throughout the season just by turning them backwards. Easy to make, and versatile, and I got the supplies I didn’t already have at home, from my local Walmart store!

What you need:

• 2×4 Wooden blocks
• Orange Paint
• Paint Brushes
• Black Sharpie
• Branches/Twigs from your yard
• Raffia
• Artificial Fall Leaves
• Wood Glue
• Small Nails and Hammer
• Glue Dots

How to make it:

My hubby has a lot of wood scraps from his various woodworking projects. I took some scrap 2×4’s and cut them down into various sizes using his compound sliding miter saw. After cutting them, I sanded the edges down to remove any splinters and just round the edges a little bit.

Once the sanding was all done, it was time to paint. I covered my work surface with lots of newspaper and plastic bags. The first thing I did was to paint all of the wooden blocks. It took a couple of good coats to cover the blocks thoroughly. While the paint was drying, I went outside and cut a couple of branches from a tree. I took those branches and cut some “pumpkin stems” using a pair of pruners. Cut them at different lengths, and different angles. Have fun with it!

Once the paint is all dry, you can put the letters on! Some people will use vinyl, other will use paint, but I love Sharpie! I didn’t have to wait for it to dry! I just freehanded the letters onto the blocks.

Next is putting the stems on the “pumpkins”. I started with wood glue, and quickly realized that I didn’t have time to sit and hold them while it set. I picked up a couple of small nails, the kind you use to hang photos, and carefully hammered the stems to the blocks.  From there, I cut small bunches of raffia and tied them around the base of the stems. I added a couple of drops of glue to keep them from coming undone. Next I used the glue dots to attach some artificial leaves to the blocks.

I really love how they turned out and how they look on my mantle with all of my other Halloween decorations, and when Halloween is over, all I have to do is turn them around, and they’re simple pumpkins!

These wooden blocks were very easy to make, and cost me less than $15 to make with all of the supplies I had to buy. You can make similar wooden blocks with letters, words, or phrases on them! Give it a try!