Wall Decor Idea: Ombre Ruler Wall Arrows

Does anything scream Back To School more than rulers?  Well, maybe apples.  MAYBE.  But rulers are right up there!  And this month this talented group of bloggers are showing off some fantastic ruler themed projects just in time to send the kiddies back in to the classroom!  Check out my Ombre Ruler Wall Arrows project below and then click through to the rest of these fabulous ruler themed projects for a ton of inspiration!

1. Classroom Sign & Printable by Capturing Joy with Kristen Duke

2. Ombre Ruler Wall Arrows by LandeeLu

3. DIY Ruler Vase by Lolly Jane

4. Ruler Donuts by Your Homebased Mom

5. Easy Educational Ruler Activity by Or So She Says

6. DIY Pencil Holder by Eighteen25

7. Back to School Ruler Printable by Two Twenty One

8. You Rule! Back to School Printable by Thirty Handmade Days

I’m working on a gallery wall for my son’s room and have been trying to figure out some fun things to break up the expanse of picture frames that I have for the space.  I knew that just a couple of  “architectural” elements was all I needed to keep it from being boring…. but they couldn’t be anything “girly” (his word, not mine).

I’ve been seeing some fun wooden arrows out there in blogland and I thought they would be perfect for this project!  And made with RULERS?  C’mon.  Can’t miss.  And you know what?  They turned out better than I was even expecting (which rarely happens to me)!

Want to make some too?  Here’s how you do it:

What you’ll need:

• yardsticks (or even rulers but I wasn’t sure how big I wanted these so I went big), $1-$4 each.  Each arrow required 1.5 yardsticks.
• wood glue
• stain (I used three different shades because I wanted the ombre effect)
• command strips for hanging

STEP ONE: Using a miter saw or table saw, cut yardsticks at 45 degree angles into 8″ pieces (or smaller or larger, depending on how big you want your arrows.  Just make sure they are all at exactly 45 degrees and all the same length)

STEP TWO:  Lay them all out and line them up how you want them.

STEP THREE:  Using wood glue (and you don’t need much!), glue pieces together and “clamp” them for at least 30 minutes. Overnight is best but who is that patient???

STEP FOUR:  Stain arrows simply by brushing or wiping on stain and then wiping excess off with paper towel.  I used Minwax in Dark Walnut, Provencial and Golden Pecan to get my “ombre” effect.

STEP FIVE:  Allow stain to dry completely.  Then, to give them a more “solid” feel, I sanded the edges.  It made them feel more like a whole piece rather than yardsticks pieced together.  Sanding is totally optional, of course.

STEP SIX:  They are so lightweight that I just put one command strip on the back of each one and hung them up using a long level as a guide!

This was a nice afternoon project that looks fantastic on his wall now! And I love the rulers as opposed to regular wood too.  Fun little detail.    I can’t wait to finish his wall and show you!

Thanks for stopping by!  Be sure to check out the other ruler projects in this month’s blog hop!