Scented Etched Wood Alphabet Montessori-Waldorf Inspired

Essential Oil Diffusing Wood Alphabet Tracing Cards

Sensory Alphabet Wood Chips

Scented Sensory Alphabet Tracing Blocks

(I'm not exactly sure what to call them so I'm coming up with lots of titles lol)

Here is a fun DIY Christmas gift I made for my kiddos.  My husband has cut down so many trees around the house I'm always wondering what else I could use the wood for besides firewood.  I'm really excited how these turned out and my older daughter asked me to make her some number ones to do math with, so I guess that's next.



I found a log about 3 inches in diameter and sliced it up with the circle saw.  Then next step would be t sand them but I didn't do that...they aren't that rough, my actually husband asked if I had sanded them because they were decently smooth...I just didn't know where any sandpaper was.
Then I just had fun free handing the alphabet on each slice with the wood burner tool.  Mine was from hobby lobby and around $7 with coupon and I don't know if there are better ones out there since this was my first time using one, but it was kinda slow.  However we had Christmas music on and the kids were playing so it was easy to just have out and do throughout the day, a letter here a letter there.

After I finished the alphabet, I poured some olive oil in a bowl and added some essential oil to it and then used a paint brush to brush the oil onto the wood slices to seal them and make them scented.  So they are like essential oil diffusing alphabet learning wood block things that are also fun to stack as blocks, I should have taken a picture of that!  I was inspired by the wooden Montessori sand paper alphabet cards, but also incorporating nature into what we do as much as possible mindset of Waldorf and Charlotte Mason.  I made the grooves of the letters as deep as I could to increase the sensory experience of tracing their finger over the letters.  Anyways, I get excited about using stuff from outside so I'm in love with these!  I had wanted to make a couple sets for Christmas gifts but I don't think I'll have time, but now I know for future gifts what to make!

My next idea for some wood is building a little tree house for Calico Critters....If it happens I'll be sure to let you know!

DIY Decorating - Branches

Branch Antlers

DIY Decorating

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I have a confession to make, I've been kind of a yard waste hoarder lately...after each storm we've had, I save all the branches that fall from the tress because I think they can be turned into great items for the home! (I just heart branch decor) My first easy DIY Decorating project using branches was in my daughters room which you can see here (still need to add the birds).  About a week after setting up her tree branches, I saw these "Branchlers" by custom furniture maker Luke Bartels and I couldn't help myself.  Even Todd Oldham has put a pair of these branchlers up in his home.  I have been slowly working on my little guys room and I've been wanting it to be northern outdoorsy, kind of a woodland theme, but rustic and modern with soft colors for a baby at the same time.  Anyways, it's a WORK IN PROGRESS....to say the least...but I made these branch antlers out of one of the branches from my stash and now he has 2 things on his nursery walls! (hey it's progress :) The other item is the When I Grow Up I want to be like My Daddy sign I made last week)   This branch decor was really simple, I will show you in pictures how I did it.

I should also mention, this is a super fast and easy project...one of the easiest, effortless diy projects I have done.  (This cost $2.27 to make as I bought the wood plaque and hanging hardware..however there are at least 3 or 4 more pieces of hanging hardware left over)

Supplies

Wood Plaque (got mine at hobby lobby for $0.99 it was 50% off)

instant coffee and water....make a really strong dark coffee

foam brush

hanging hardware kit (found in the same area as the wood plaque for $1.27 for a little baggy of them)

tree branch or branches

garden clippers

glue gun and glue

rope

 I stained the wood with very dark brewed coffee and did 2-3 coats. See picture below for before and after color comparison.

Position your hanging hardware so it is straight and use a small hammer to attach it to plaque.

Find a good branch or 2 branches that will make good antlers and clip them to shape your branch antlers...

Clip the bottom tip of your antlers at an angle so you can line them up flush against the plaque...

Heat up your glue gun.  Make a big pile of hot glue centered on the lower part of your plaque.  Affix your branch antlers, adjust the the branches to how you like and then hold in place till the glue dries.

 This one branch took extra long to secure so I just propped it up...

Loop a rope around the base of your branch antlers and secure with hot glue.