Make your own DIY Fall Wood Block Décor! This décor has a great architectural salvage feel & the techniques can be used over & over again.

This fall wood block décor idea actually started out with the intention of being wood block pumpkins, but quickly turned into an architectural type piece that pairs well with my fall vignette.  Today, I’ll show you how I created this look – but let me warn you.  This is not a project for the perfectionist!  Let’s get started and you’ll see what I mean.

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Here’s what you’ll need to make your own fall wood block décor:

• Wood Blocks
• Tobacco Road Gel Stain by Dixie Belle
• Cotton Dixie Belle Chalk Paint
• Buttercream Dixie Belle Chalk Paint
• WoodUBend – WUB366-7
• WoodUBend WUB2150
• WoodUBend #2172
• Drill 
• Plastic Painting Palette Spatulas (This set is perfect to try out this technique, but if you love it I’d suggested getting the stainless set.)
• Stainless Steel Palette Knife Set 
• Finials 5 piece set (These are very similar to the ones I used.)
• Titebond 5063 Wood Glue

This project started with three black wooden blocks of varying sizes.  The sizes I used were Large -9.5×7.25×1.5, Medium -7×5,5×1.5 and Small -5×3.5×1.5 from Twin Knobs Woodworks.

To prep my blocks for the finials, I used my drill to create holes in the top of each block.  You can see I used a piece of tape to show me how far in I needed to drill the holes.

Once all of the holes were drilled, I did a dry fitting to make sure they all looked the way I wanted them to.

Now it’s time to prep everything with stain.

I used Tobacco Road Gel Stain and a clean cloth to add a layer of stain to the wood blocks, finials and the WoodUBend embellishments.

Staining with a cloth is really simple.  All I do is add some stain to my cloth, rub it onto the surface and wipe back any excess.

You can see how the stain adds a nice color when comparing the two finials below.

Be sure to let your stain dry before moving on to the next step.

Next, let’s add “texture” using paint!

Once the stain is dry, use palette knives and chalk paint to add a textured look without the raised texture that you would normally get if adding modeling paste to our paint.  This works best with chalk paint because it offers a thicker consistency.  The reason we did not add the peaks with modeling paste is because we are adding embellishments to the front and we need it to lay flat to adhere properly.

Dab your palette knife into your paint, then dab a bit off.  It’s better to have too little paint, as opposed to having too much, as you lightly glide your palette knife across your piece.

As you add your paint, be sure to keep some areas where you still see the stain.

At this point, I added a bit of buttercream using the same palette knife technique. My goal was a neutral look and the buttercream added dimension while upholding the neutral tone.

Let that layer dry.  If you feel like it’s a bit more creamy than you like you can always add a bit more cotton.

Time to add the embellishments!

For the woodubend embellishments, I used a small paintbrush to get the stain into all the nooks and crannies.

Once the embellishments are dry, use Titebond Wood Glue to secure them to the wood blocks.

I also added a dab of glue to the holes I made for the finials.  Just to make sure they are extra secure.

Here’s the finished product!

This project is a keeper!  I just love how they go with my fall vignette so perfectly.

Want more fun and easy DIY home decor ideas??  Find me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest!  Also – be sure to share your finished projects with me by tagging @rusticorchardhome on Facebook and @rustic_orchard_home on Instagram!

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy:

• Fall Basket Makeover Idea
• Hello Pumpkin Door Hanger