Shelf with One Dog Pawprint Cutout

Sold at a neighborhood art show. Dimensions: Length 31 inches, Height 8.5 inches, Depth 4.5 inches, Weight 6 pounds. If you love dogs (like I do), you might also love this piece. It would be a great place to display collectibles, knickknacks, photos of your favorite pooch, a dog biscuit jar, and so on. It could work in many places, such as an entryway, hallway, living room, den, dining room, mudroom, or bedroom. It’s made of solid maple. Two D-rings are mounted to the back, so all you need to hang it is a hammer, a couple of nails, and a wall. $100.

The Story

I found a traditional old headboard and foot board of a twin bed in an alley in my Glover Park neighborhood of D.C. The exterior was pretty rough looking; it might have been sitting outside for some time. But it wasn’t warped or anything, and markings identified the pieces as solid maple—clearly diamonds-in-the-rough, with potential for a second life. I deconstructed both pieces and used the foot board to cut out two pieces for this shelf project. I sanded the pieces down to clean, smooth surfaces to reveal the natural wood. I cut out the pawprint with a jigsaw and used a router to round the interior and exterior edges. I attached the two pieces with glue and screws. For the final finish, I applied three coats of Minwax water-based clear satin Polycrylic.

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