Merry Christmas Faux Pallet Art

Instructions

1. Lay the ruler across the 12″ end of the foam sheet. Make a mark every 4″ with the black marker to create the boards. Do this at both ends of both foam sheets. Lay the ruler even with the marks at the top and bottom of the foam sheet. Hold the ruler tightly to the foam and use it as a guide as you cut the boards from the sheets with the foam cutter. You only need five 4×18″ foam boards; save the remaining foam for a future project. Lightly rub the cut edges together side by side to sand the edges smooth and remove the loose foam particles.
2. Wear protective gloves while working with Smooth Finish. Apply one coat of Smooth Finish to the foam boards’ top and sides. Apply the Smooth Finish in all directions and fill the foam cells. Let dry. Sand the boards lightly with the sanding block until smooth. Apply a second coat of Smooth Finish to the boards’ tops and sides. Let dry—sand boards for a completely smooth finish.
3. Base coat the tops and sides of the boards with white paint and let dry.
4. Graining Technique:  Add water to thin the red paint slightly, making it easier to work with and giving you a little longer dry time. Working with one board at a time, apply a generous coat of red paint. Working quickly while the paint is still wet, place the graining tool centered at the end of the board. With slight pressure, begin pulling the tool towards you slowly. Rock the tool gently up and down as you pull. It is best not to stop while using the graining tool. Pull from one end of the board to the other in a smooth motion. Grain the edges of the boards with the textured side of the tool. Do not panic if you mess up or don’t like the way it looks. While the paint is still wet, wipe the paint from the board with a wet paper towel. Let the board dry completely and try again. Let all boards dry completely when your desired look is achieved.
5. Using a dry brushing technique, lightly brush each board with white paint to enhance the realistic wood grain look. Load a small amount of white paint on your dry brush, and then wipe off excess on a paper towel. Hold the brush horizontally to the board and lightly brush across just the raised areas of the board. You will notice that the graining tool left texture in the paint. This technique will bring out that texture.
6. Glue the boards together side by side.
7. Print a holiday message onto the cardstock and cut it out with the craft knife for your template. Trace the holiday message onto the boards. Paint the traced message with white paint and outline the letters with a black paint pen. Let dry completely.
8. Glue lengths of ribbon crisscrossed across the front of the pallet as shown. Make a small bow and glue where the ribbons cross on the front of the pallet.