TIMELESS CHARACTER

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

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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