CountryCreativeWY: DIY napkin holder

Hey guys! I have a super simple project to share with you today. It's probably the easiest project I've ever shared. The only difficult part is cutting out the notch to grab the napkins, but if you don't have a jigsaw or just don't want a notch, just skip it. It will be fine without one!

Materials:

- 23 inches of 1x3

- 5.5 inches of 1x6

Tools:

- Saw of some sort (you only have a few cuts to make, so you can definitely use a hand saw if you don't have a power saw)

- Jigsaw (if you're cutting the notch)

- Glue and Nail gun (or hammer and nails)

- Sander/sandpaper

*This napkin holder will fit small party napkins (5x5). You'll need to modify to fit larger napkins.

Cut list:

It works out well that the small size party napkins are about 5"x5". So cut your 1x6 at 5.5," leaving you with a square, since your 1x6 is actually 5.5". It also leaves you with a little room around the 5"x5" napkins.

Then cut 2 - 1x3s at 5.5," and 2 - 1x3s at 7."

Glue and nail one of your shorter 1x3s to your bottom (your 1x6).

Then glue and nail your other 5.5" 1x3 to your base piece too. You still with me? I know it's complicated stuff!

Next, add your longer (7") piece to the top. Glue and nails again!

Now time for your notch! If you're not cutting a notch, skip ahead a few steps. I just used a piece of 2x4 that I had sitting nearby. I liked the shape of the edge, it seemed like it had the perfect curve.

I drew a few different versions. The first one was too big. The second one was too big. But the third one... you guessed it Goldilocks! It was just right.

I used my fancy-pants jig saw to cut it out. And by fancy-pants I mean the most basic jigsaw ever that I think I paid $30 for, ~~with a metal blade in it because I dropped it and broke the wood blade~~.

And, as you can see, I kinda missed. They make sandpaper for a reason, right?

Then nail your last piece on and fill your nail holes. Wait patiently for the wood filler to dry, and then sand that baby down!

I chose to make mine match my dining room table, so once again, I used a Dark Walnut stain and Ivory Bisque paint combination. I stained the whole thing Dark Walnut first, waited for it to dry, and then spray painted the whole thing Ivory Bisque.

Once the paint dried, I used a sanding sponge to shabby up all the edges. I sprayed it with a light coat of matte sealant and into my house she went!

I found this napkin weight at this adorable little shop in Kailua, HI, called Red Bamboo. Isn't it so cute?! My napkins are from Target (Do you all think Tar-jeey in your head every time I write that? I do.)

Thanks for reading today!

For pictures between posts, find me on Facebook or Pinterest. And, if you don't want to DIY, you can buy from me on Etsy!

Here's a few more pictures...