Wood Quilt Square

I have to say…this wood quilt square was one of my longest running projects with the biggest headaches, but it is probably one of my favorite DIY pieces.  But be forewarned…this is not for the faint of heart.  I have to say, if I were to do this project differently I would make some changes, so hopefully you learn from my follies.  Despite the difficulties, I think it turned out wonderfully.

I was inspired by another blogger who was inspired by this Pottery Barn Planked Quilt Square: I loved the look of both of my inspirations, but wasn’t quite sold on the size.  Maybe when we live in more than a one-bedroom apartment.  I decided to scale down on the size.  Here are the measurements of the final project. (I’d give you my starting measurements, but as I said, many changes and alterations…) FYI-“long to short” means there will be 45 degree angles on both ends, “at long end” means there is one 45 degree angle end and one flat (90 degree angle) end.

4 1”x 2” boards (I believe I used pine)-45 degree mitered cuts

• 7″ long to short x 16
• 4 1/4” at long end x 8
• 2 3/4” at long end x 8
• 1” at long end x 8
• 3 1/2” at long end x 8
• 2” at long end x 8

You will also need a piece of plywood to glue the pieces to.  Any kind other than OSB will do.  With the measurements listed above, cut your plywood into a 40″ by 40″ square.  As you can see from the picture below, I did not cut my plywood (largely because I live in a one-bedroom apartment and all “my” tools live at my parent’s house).  Hindsight=20/20, so please cut your plywood beforehand.   If you’re a planner like me, you’ll want to lay your pieces out on the plywood.  Here’s how you lay out your pieces for your sample.

  This is the point where I realized my measurements for my scaled-down version may not have been the greatest.  If you have any overhang on the plywood, don’t worry.  You can fix it later.   Next, use your stain to stain the pieces.  I separated the boards out by length and flipped half of them over to make sure I was staining the correct sides.  For stain, I used Minwax Dark Walnut, Minwax Cherry, and Minwax Natural.  I did about 1/3 of each stain to vary the colors.  Let the stain dry for the directed amount of time. Mark the middle of your plywood with a +.  You can extend the line all the way to the end so you know where to line up your pieces.  When the pieces are dry, use wood glue to glue the pieces how you’d like them.  Refer to the diagram above for arrangement. Clamp or weight down your pieces as you go.  If you have great tools, use them.  If you’re like me, use Bibles, Harry Potter books, Don Quixote, old college textbooks….anything you can find.  This will help the glue adhere to the wood.   Here’s how mine turned out after it was done drying:   As you can see, the plywood extends past the pieces.  With a 40″ square, the pieces should line up close to the edge.  Next, cut the overhanging pieces with a jigsaw.  (I had to cut through the plywood and the 1x2s, but your cut should be much easier.  Again, hindsight…..)  You should be left with an approximately 40″ square with no overhang. Finally, frame the pieces with 1″ x 2″ mitered cut pieces.  I just used wood glue and glued them upside down, but you could also glue and nail if you feel like it is not secure enough. Mount with a sawtooth hanger or cleat. Interested in more wood-related projects?  Check out my adventures in stenciling and staining.