Coastal Creators of Connecticut

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DIY Coastal Home Decor Ideas

Give your home a coastal feel without spending a lot of money with these DIY coastal home style accents. From beach front art to coastal home accents, there is something for every room in the house.

You can easily find supplies like shells, rocks, and even driftwood for free depending on where you live. If you want to recreate some of these coastal accents, you will need to grab a variety of supplies to have on hand. Dollar Tree has many of the items you will need including shells, twine, glass vases and candle holders, burlap ribbon, and even sand. They even have glue guns and glue sticks, Mod Podge, paint and paint brushes, sand paper, tape and glue.


If you need wood, your local Lowe’s or Home Depot can supply that but you can also gather free pallets if you search Facebook Marketplace, your local “Buy Nothing” Facebook group and even Craigslist. Sometimes you will spot pallets on the side of the road and you can stop and ask the business owner if you can take them.

Many of these coastal home decor ideas also fit nicely into any Farmhouse style room you have in your home. It even has a name, “Coastal Farmhouse”!

Pottery Barn Inspired Rope Wrapped Sand Dollar Candle holders

Pottery Barn Inspired Rope Wrapped Sand Dollar Candle holders from Stone Gable give you that high-end look for a lot less.

Shell Succulent Planter

Shell Succulent Planter (source unknown) can be made by taking multiple shells and hot gluing them together.

Wine Bottle Candle Centerpiece

Wine Bottle Candle Centerpiece (source unknown). Get a friend to cut the bottom out of 3 wine bottles of various sizes  and place them on top of candles. It looks so elegant and it didn’t cost much to put together.

Coastal Farmhouse Decor from Glass Candle Holders

Coastal Sea Glass Farmhouse Candles from Sadie Season Goods combines the look of sea glass with the pattern of fishing net by substituting it for chicken wire.

Round Beach Candle Fishbowl Centerpiece

Round Beach Candle Fishbowl Centerpiece (source unknown). Coastal home decor features a lot of blues and sandy color and LOTS of shell. Here’s another centerpiece that is shells, sand, a glass fishbowl and a candle.

Pottery Barn Inspired "Monkey Fist" Rope Knot Lamp

Twine and rope are also a big part of coastal home decor. This Pottery Barn Inspired “Monkey Fist” Rope Knot Lamp made by Down Home Inspiration utilizes basic 3/4″ rope and a little bit of talent to make a monkey fist knot but you’ll have a coastal lamp that costs $25 to make instead of $225 to buy.

DIY Sisal Coastal Lamp Shade

If you have a plain shade you want to turn into a Coastal lampshade, try this DIY Sisal Coastal Lamp Shade idea from Sand and Sisal. All you need is some 1/4″ sisal rope and a glue gun and in an instant you have a natural fiber lampshade to add to your coastal home decor.

wood bead strands

You probably have seen these wood bead strands all over the Internet, Pinterest and in stores like Homegoods but now you can make a strand yourself and save a buck or two. Sand and Sisal also shows us how easy it is to make them with a box of round wood beads, a drill and hemp cord. In about an hour you’ll have a fantastic strand of beads you can use in your coastal home decor scheme.

Printer's Box Shadow Box Shell Coastal Display

If you like to hunt for antiques and spot a printer’s tray or even purchase one on Etsy, you can use it as kind of a shadow box to display a variety of shells. Blesser House shows us how she did it. his is a great accent for your Coastal home.


Coastal Driftwood Mirror

One of my favorite coastal pieces is this Coastal Driftwood Mirror made by Sustain My Craft Habit. It’s so versatile and can do in any room of the house. If you can’t find driftwood in your area you can buy it on Etsy and even Amazon. You’ll need a 14″ beleveled mirror to complete your project. This mirror is stunning.

lighthouse lantern centerpiece

This is more of an idea than a coastal craft you make. Lanterns make great table centerpieces. They can also be placed just about anywhere you have a shelf. This lighthouse lantern makes a statement on the dining table. Between Naps on the Porch gives you ways to arrange the table.

DIY Rope Coasters
source unknown

DIY Rope or Jute Coasters work up super quick. You just need sisal rope or thick twine and a glue gun.

DIY Coastal Rope Rug

Source: Marrietta.ru

If you’re going to make rope coasters, why not use some of that rope and make a DIY rope rug that is super useful. You could also turn them into rope placements. Just don’t make the circle as large as you would for the rug.

DIY Rope Placemats

Rope Placement from City Farmhouse

DIY Rope Cushion from an old tire
Source unknown

Or how about making a coastal rope cushion by covering an old tire with rope. This would look great on the porch or patio.

DIY Coastal Rope Lamp
source unknown

Continuing with sisal rope, let’s cover an old lamp and make a coastal rope lamp you can be proud of.

Sea Glass Mosaic Table

Switching gears to sea glass. This unique sea glass table accents any coastal home decor style.

Pallet Beachy Coastal Garland

Pallet Beach Coastal Garland from Finding Home Farm is made using a hot glue gun to attach shells, starfish and old Mason jar lids to twine. The twine is then tied to a piece of rope. The wood backdrop is made from old pallets.

Coastal Wood Pallet Shelf

Coastal Wood Pallet Shelf can be made to hold all of your coastal goodies like candles and shells.

DIY Coastal Driftwood Headboard
Source: Houzz

After some time beach-combing and acquiring enough flat driftwood you too can create a coastal-style driftwood headboard.

Driftwood Crab Art

Driftwood Crab Art from Remodelando La Casa is made by taking bits of driftwood and basically laying them out like a puzzle until the pieces fit.

Coastal Rope Handle Wood Tray

This Coastal Rope Handle Wood Tray from H20 Bungalow can be made in a few hours from start to finish.

DIY Sea Blue Wood Starburst Mirror

This DIY Sea Blue Wood Starburst Mirror from Sgt. Pepper’s Kitchen isn’t made with driftwood but it is made using wood shims. You can purchase them for cheap at your local hardware store and the finished mirror looking stunning once it is painted a sea blue color.

DIY Wood Buoys

People have been decorating their coastal homes for years with wood buoys. Now you can make your own for cheap. Sense & Serendipity shows us that with a 4×4, a saw, a drill, sandpaper, rope and some paint you can whip some up in no time.

Beach wall art
Purchase on Etsy

Beach wall art is easy to create. Go to the Dollar Store and get a simple picture frame and a canvas. Paint the canvas a beige or blue color, inset it in the frame, remove the glass and glue a large shell in the center. Or you can purchase it on Etsy.

Dollar Tree Beach Wall Art
Purchase on Etsy

10 Beautiful Rustic Wood Centerpiece Boxes

Get inspired by rustic wood centerpieces that you can use to decorate your dining room table, a bench by the window, or even a wedding table centerpiece. Rustic wood makes these natural centerpieces fit in with many home decor settings.

Shop for Wood Table Centerpiece Boxes in our Etsy Shop

Wood Table Centerpiece Box Merry Christmas
Wood Table Centerpiece Box Merry Christmas Cards
Wood Table Centerpiece Box Merry Christmas
Wood Table Centerpiece Box Merry Christmas
Wood Table Centerpiece Box Merry Christmas, Let it Snow
Wood Table Centerpiece Box Merry Christmas

Add Clear or Chalk painted Mason jars to a wood planter and then fill the jars with florals or greenery. Faux or real florals such as lavender, hydrangea or peonies or greenery such as faux boxwoods, will make your centerpiece pop with color. Stones and shells are also good centerpiece fillers. Pillar candles, small pumpkins, boxwoods pieces, and other baubles transform your simple wood box into an awesome centerpiece. The designs choices are endless.

To help you get inspired, we have put together a collection of 10 beautiful wood centerpieces boxes that do not require much skill beyond some basic crafting knowledge.

how to make a Rustic Wood Centerpiece Boxs

1. Simply Blessed Rustic Wood Centerpiece Box

This is our own design. We actually used new pine boards to create our wood centerpiece box. We then painted the box with an Espresso brown acrylic paint, and used a sanding block to give it that rustic look, especially on the corner. Instead of buying handles, we made our own out of rope and attached them by drilling two holes in each end of the box and forming knots inside of the box.

The Simply Blessed wording is a vinyl cutout using the Cricut machine. You can create a vinyl stencil and paint the words on, or use white vinyl and create a vinyl sticker, which is much less mess. Once everything was finished we added pea gravel inside of the box around the chalk painted Mason jars to complete our look.

Simple Blessed Rustic Wood Centerpiece Boxes

D and E Customs

2. Monogrammed Wood Centerpiece Box

Not a fan of mason jars? This centerpiece is a rustic farmhouse planter box that stands are four homemade pegs to elevate its beauty. Add a monogram to make a custom piece. Perfect as a wedding gift. Fill it with peonies or roses for a chic look.

DIY Farmhouse Wooden Box Centerpiece
Lenny and Jenny Designs

3. Reclaimed Wood Centerpiece Box

This is one of the most versatile centerpiece you’ll ever own! These centerpiece boxes can be used for decorating any season or occasion. This box is handmade from rustic weathered pallet and barn wood. Because these boxes are handcrafted, the look of the wood will vary, as no two pieces of wood are the same.

DIY Farmhouse Wooden Box Centerpiece
The Turquoise Home

4. DIY Farmhouse Wooden Box Centerpiece

This DIY Farmhouse Wooden Box Centerpiece was made with rustic wood, a few screws and some paint. It’s a super simple project and works up as a cute centerpiece for your table, mantel or wherever you want to put it! The simple elegance of a rustic box with flowers will warm your heart and it’s perfect for spring or decorated for fall or Christmas with greeneries.

Rustic Wood Centerpiece Box

Rustic Wood Centerpiece Box
Sophia’s Decor

5. Rustic Wood Centerpiece for a Long Table

Are you hosting a dinner on the patio or on the terrace? Think of highlighting the long table with a rectangular rustic wood box centerpiece, decorated to your personal taste.

Rustic Wedding Wood Centerpiece Box
Love Grows Wild

We have a tutorial to show you how to make this wooden box

6. Rustic Wedding Wood Centerpiece Box

Add a little rustic flair to your wedding table with this wood centerpiece box with handles. This also makes a lovely gift for new couples. Fill the box with glass jars filled with babies breath or roses.

Candlelit Fall Inspired Wood Centerpiece
Addicted 2 DIY

7. Candlelit Fall Inspired Wood Centerpiece

You will need Mason or Kerr jars and pillar candles to create this look. During the Fall season, fill a wooden centerpiece box with acorns, leaves, cinnamon sticks, mini pumpkins and more.

Reclaimed Wood Centerpiece Box
Her Tool Belt

The secret work is reclaimed.

8. Reclaimed Wood Centerpiece Box

We’re back to Mason jar decor because we find these jars to be so versatile. These Mason jars have been tinted with a Sea Glass spray to make them look like they are made out of sea glass. The wood box is made out of reclaimed barn wood. White hydrangeas complete our decorative wood centerpiece box.

Wood Centerpiece Box with Raised Fee
Maple Nest

9. Wood Centerpiece Box with Raised Feet

Illuminate your dining table while displaying candles surrounded by succulents. This versatile wood centerpiece box serves as a candle holder and planter for real or faux succulents. Fill it with rocks, moss, plants, wine corks and more. The little feet elevate this wood box to give it a unique look to any decor.

Rustic Wood Centerpiece Boxes
source unknown
Rustic Wood Centerpiece Box
source unknown

10. IKEA Pillar Candles & Eucalyptus Centerpiece

The glow from candles can add atmosphere to any moment as they light up dark. Complete your seasonal décor with festive and elegant white candles, berries and vines.

Do you want to make your own wood Centerpiece box?

We have full step-by-step instructions.

DIY Wood Centerpiece Box Instructions

How to Build a Rustic Wood Centerpiece Box

Learn how to build your own DIY Rustic Wooden Centerpiece box with our step-by-step instructions. You don’t need a lot of wood and there are minimal supplies required. In no time you will have your own wood centerpiece box. We will also give you some tips for decorating your box to make it a focal point in your home.

Here is an example of a rustic wood centerpiece box that has been given a whitewashed look.

Rustic Wedding Wood Centerpiece Box
Love Grows Wild

Disclaimer: this article contains affiliate links. Please read our affiliate policies.

Rustic Wood Centerpiece Box Supplies List

Here are some of the items you will need to complete your project.

  • Common Pine boards (yes they even sell that on Amazon if you can’t get out)
  • Acrylic Paint or stain
  • Paint Brushes
  • Hammer and finishing nails
  • Sanding sponges or Hand Sander
  • Mod Podge (Optional)
  • Paint Wax Sealer (Optional)
  • Brad Nailer (Optional)
  • Quick-Grip Clamps (Optional)


Wood Centerpiece Box Sizes

You can make your wood box just about any size you like. If you want to make the one we have in the photo we provided the size for that. It is a smaller wood box than normal because we made it for a class we were teaching.

We used Common pine board with knots but you can use whatever wood you like. We buy 1 x 4 x 3/4″ and 1 x 6 x 3/4″ boards.

Since these are wood centerpieces boxes that are designed for home decor and not an actual planter box, the height is a bit shorter. If we were going to use these to put herbs and other plants in, I would make them taller – so instead of 3-1/2″ tall they would be 5-1/2″ tall.

Small Wood Box Dimensions

Finished Size: 10-1/2″ l x 5-1/2″ w x 3-1/2″ h

Wood Cut Sizes:

  • 2 @ 9″ x 3-1/2″
  • 2 @ 5-1/2″ x 3-1/2″
  • 1 @ 9″ x 4″

Standard Wood Box Dimensions

Finished Box Size: 14″ l x 5-1/2″ w x 3-1/2″ h

Wood Cut Sizes:

  • 2 @ 12-1/2″ x 3-1/2″
  • 2 @ 5-1/2″ x 3-1/2″
  • 1 @ 12-1/2″ x 4″

Long Table Wood Box Dimensions

Finished Box Size: 25-1/2″ l x 5-1/2″ w x 3-1/2″ h

Wood Cut Sizes:

  • 2 @ 24″ x 3-1/2″
  • 2 @ 5-1/2″ x 3-1/2″
  • 1 @ 24″ x 4″

How to Build a Rustic Wood Centerpiece Box

NOTE: If you don’t want to buy brand new wood, you can use pallet wood too. You can often find free pallets by using the free section on Craigslist and also Facebook Marketplace. That is how we have found ours. You will need a good saw and possibly pliers to take the pallets apart. This tool has helped us a lot

1. Cut your wood. Use the size chart above.

2. Sand your wood. You don’t need to sand it very much. Just lightly to get rid of any rough spots.

3. Build your box. Using a Brad Nailer or hammer and nails, nail one long board to one side of the base. Nail the end pieces to the box next. The last step will be to nail the other side and you have your box made.

TIP: You may want to Quick-Grip Clamps the bottom, front and back boards together first. This helps you line everything up and they stay put while you are nailing them together. Or, put the entire box together, clamp, and then nail.

4. Paint your wood. You can stain your wood or paint it with acrylic paints. I like to put a little bit of acrylic paint in a dish an add a lot of water to it to make it a wash. It looks more like stain when you do this. Or, you can paint it completely with acrylic paint and then sand it later to give it that affect. Staining is also an option.

5. Sand your wood again. This time you are going to sand it a bit rougher to give it that distressed look. I like to really sand the corners and make them round.

6. Drill holes for the handles. At this point you could be done but if you want handles you can drill 2 holes on each end to accommodate either a metal handle or a rope handle.

TIP: Wrap masking tape around the ends to make them go through the holes easier. If you are adding rope as a handle I suggest you put one end in one hole, tie a knot and then get it the size you want it and put the second end in and tie a knot. Our handle required about a 12″ of twine.

7. Protect the wood. You can definitely leave the wood the way it is or you can use a Mod Podge or Paint Wax Sealer to protect it.

Notice the brad nails in the corners. A Brad Nailer makes this a quick and easy project. You can, however, build a wooden centerpiece box with just a hammer and finishing nails.

This is what our finished wood centerpiece box looks like when it is painted with brown acrylic paint, sanded and the rope handles attached.

This is what the knots look like inside of the box when you add a twine handle.

The Secret word is candles

Visit our Wood Centerpiece Box Gallery to get ideas for decorating and filling your box with all kinds of goodies.

How to Build a Rustic Wood Centerpiece Box

Free Easy DIY Wood Birdhouse Plans

When Spring comes we think about the birds and wildlife coming back into our yard. Birds will be searching for places to nest, hatch their eggs, feed their young and you can help by building a wood birdhouse or wood nesting box.

When deciding what birdhouse design is best for the birds in your backyard, take into consideration that every bird is different. A birdhouse with a small hole may not be suited for a larger bird that needs a larger opening.

Wood Birdhouse Sizes

Value Home Centers not only has a Free Bird DIY birdhouse using just one board, they also came up with a chart to give you an idea of the sizes needed for a variety of birds.

Birdhouses Size Reference Chart

For a different kind of birdhouse, check out these 10 Free Birdhouse Plans from Fresh Patio. You will be able to build one of these birdhouses for just around $3 by using a single 4″ x 6′ wood plank from your local hardware store. There is nothing complicated and you can even use a hand saw to cut the boards.

Free DIY Birdhouse Plans

Build a Bluebird House

Fanning Sparks will show you how to build a proper Bluebird house. Even if you don’t have any bluebirds in your yard, chickadees and wrens may also choose to nest in this birdhouse because it is just the right size having a 1-1/2″ opening that only allows for small birds to enter.

Free DIY Birdhouse Plans

Build a Cedar Fence Picket Birdhouse

The Cedar Fence Picket Birdhouse by Ana White can be built for just $2 using a cedar fence picket. This also makes a good kids project or a fun group project. She also offers free plans for a Modern Cedar Birdhouse that can be nailed to a tree.

Free DIY Birdhouse Plans

Build a Simple Birdhouse

Shelly from 100 Things 2 Do in Canada used Ana White’s birdhouse plans and changed it up a bit to create her own unique take on simple birdhouse plans.

Free DIY Birdhouse Plans

Build a Sparrow Bird Box

If you have sparrows in your area, you may want to consider building a Sparrow bird box. This birdhouse is placed under the eaves of your house because sparrows often nest there.

Sparrow Bird Box Free DIY Plans

Build a Cardinal Nesting Box

Cardinals are beautiful birds with their brilliant red feathers. You may want to build a Cardinal nesting shelter birdhouse. This can also be make out of one single fence board. The best location for a Cardinal box will be to place underneath the overhang of the house and about 6 feet or higher to prevent predators from attacking it.

Similarly, robins also like to nest in open boxes. By building them a nesting shelter you will give them some added protection while they raise their young.

Cardinal Robin Nesting Shelter free DIY plans

Build a PVC Birdhouse

For an even more unique style of birdhouse, Bill from Suncatcher Studio came up with an easy way to use PCV piping to create fun and unique birdhouses. PVC is cheap so this is a good material to use for your next birdhouse build.

PVC DIY Free Birdhouse Plans

Birdhouse Decoration Ideas

Fun Birdhouses to Make, Sell and Just Enjoy!

Birdhouses are functional but they can also be decorative. We like to paint, use broken china, tiles, embellishments, flowers, and even dollhouse shingles for the roof of our birdhouses. There are so many creative ways you can decorate a birdhouse. Let us give you some ideas.

Let your imagination run wild with these painted birdhouse ideas. Bright colors and fun designs will bring your birdhouse to life and fill your garden with color and flair.

Decorative Birdhouses to paint

decorative birdhouses

Broken China Mosaic Birdhouse

Build a Broken China Birdhouse

painted birdhouse ideas

Bright and whimsical colors make this birdhouse a great addition to any garden, indoors or out!

Stacy McFadden Art

Stone Birdhouse Ideas

Have you ever thought of using coins or stones to decorate a birdhouse? These birdhouses utilize stones and coins to decorate roofs and walls. These DIY birdhouse are embellished with stones and a roof made out of pennies

DIY Birdhouse with a Pretty Penny Roof
Source: Dream a Little Bigger

Repurpose those old pennies you have lying around and use them to add a roof to a birdhouse. The copper will age over time and turn a nice patina shade. This rustic birdhouse is definitely something fun to create.

Rock Bird House
Plow & Hearth

How cute is this rock bird house with it’s flower pot. rocking chair, screen door, window box, side window, and dormer roof window added as embellishment. The birds will want to move right in!

Stained Glass Red Blue Bird House

Note the beautiful craftsmanship in the stained glass design on this birdhouse.

Free DIY Birdhouse Plans

Crafts by Amanda

Do you have old maps not being used? If you don’t you can always find some at flea markets, thrift shops and yard sales. There are so many things you can do with old maps. Here is an idea for a decorative birdhouse. Amanda took the original idea from Midwest Living Magazine to paint and then glue old maps to her wood birdhouses using Mod Podge.

Home Bazaar Windy Ridge Stone Birdhouse

Create an enchanted feel in your bird garden with the Home Bazaar Windy Ridge Stone Bird House. Blending style with realistic details, this cottage will certainly bring a charming touch to your home or backyard in moments. The stone covered façade lends a rustic feel to the piece, furthered by the faux wood pile, bird house, and window box with fabric flowers.

Mosaic Birdhouses
Desert Rose Art Glass
Blue Tile Mosaic Birdhouse
Elzabieta Frydel

You can make a Rustic pallet wood birdhouse with a license plate for a roof for little or no money. Inspire to Make shows you how on his YouTube channel. It’s a very easy DIY woodworking project for beginners that requires minimum amount of tools.

license plate birdhouse ideas

Add a bit of whimsy to your birdhouse by using an old license plate as the walls. Felt Magnet provides step-by-step instructions for this birdhouse condo.

This Stained Glass Birdhouse is easy to achieve. Purchase an unfinished wood birdhouse or build your own birdhouse, use painter’s tape and create an exquisite stained glass design. Paint inside of the sections, remove the painter’s tape, use a ruler and draw lines around each section with a thin paintbrush and black paint or a Sharpie marker.

Stained Glass Birdhouse Pattern Instructions

Let your creative juices run wild, grab your paints and paintbrushes and paint a garden scene on a birdhouse.

Handpainted Birdhouse

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Coastal Christmas Trees

DIY Coastal Home Decor Ideas

Sea Glass Crafts to Make and Sell

10 Beautiful Rustic Wood Centerpiece Boxes

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