This washboard decor idea is Part Two of the origami shirt advent calendar we showed you a few days ago. If you’re reading this post on Saturday, tomorrow is advent and we have one more creative idea to display the other 12 origami shirts we showed you how to make.

What could be a more perfect combo than shirts on a washboard? Read on, because this is only one half of our washboard decor – there’s more to come!

While we’re upcycling both these wash boards, you could probably get away with one large one instead if you prefer.

Do It Over Designers

Today we’re taking part in the Do It Over Designers blog Hop hosted by Ann at The Apple Street Cottage.

We’re a group of bloggers who take something old and/or unused and ‘do it over’ into something new. These items can be found in closets, barns, garages, yard sales, thrift stores, you name it! Don’t forget to check out the other projects at the bottom of this post. And be sure to drop back in throughout the week to visit them all!

Before we get into the tutorial, don’t forget to get your craft mojo on at Birdz of a Feather and subscribe! You can also follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

Watch this Fun Video

If you finger painted when you were a kid, you’re about to get reacquainted with it again. Watch the video to see how!

Materials for Wash Board Decor

As an Amazon and Dixie Belle Affiliate, we earn a small commission on products sold through affiliate links. Your purchases through those links help to support this blog at no additional cost to you. In purchasing the supplies we use and recommend via our links, you help to support the free tutorials we offer you and our other readers. Thank you so much! Read our full disclosure here.

• Dixie Belle Fluff Chalk Mineral Paint
• Dixie Belle Haint Blue Chalk Mineral Paint
• Dixie Belle Gemstone Mousse
• Dixie Belle Pearlescent Glaze
• Heavy Duty Lazy Susan
• Foil transfer and adhesive (thrifted)
• MDF Family Wreath
• Vintage washboards
• Twine
• Mini wooden clothes pins
• Origami mini shirt bags (see our previous post)
• Holographic laser tape (dollar store)
• MDF Letters
• Glue or double sided foam tape for mounting MDF components
• Scrap of wallpaper (we got our free from a discontinued wallpaper book)

This post is sponsored by Dixie Belle Paint. All opinions are my own. Rest assured that we have used these products and would not share them with you if we weren’t absolutely thrilled with them!

Paint MDF with Chalk Paint

To start, we’re painting this MDF ‘family’ wreath. By the way, did you finger paint when you were in kindergarten? I sure did and today we’re bringing it back in a crafty way! We already started painting the MDF snowflakes.

Kim and Garret Make It kindly sent us a few project kits to try last year and we’ve had so much fun coming up with interesting things to do with them. For example, we created a ‘light-up’ hat for the MDF Gnome DIY you see below (Part One of our advent calendar project). It’s just one example of the awesome unfinished projects they stock, so be sure to check them out for plenty of Christmas inspiration!

Dixie Belle Paint also sent us some goodies to complete this project. If you’re getting crafty before Christmas, this is the best paint to use indoors while the weather rages outside because there are no VOCs and no smell at all!

I’m using two colours of Dixie Belle Chalk Mineral Paint: Fluff and Haint Blue for the wreath. Not only is this chalk paint non-toxic but it cleans up with soap and water. So I’m dipping right in and finger painting everything!

Since our previous advent calendar was so colourful, I’m using pretty pastel colours for this one! Although the camera doesn’t differentiate the colours well, I’m painting the leaves with Fluff and ‘Family’ with Haint blue.

Embellish Washboard Decor

Switching to a brush, I’m adding a beautiful shimmer to the snowflakes and Family with Dixie Belle’s Pearlescent glaze. Again, the camera doesn’t pick it up, but in person it’s so pretty!

While that dries, let’s add some metallic finishes! For the gold, I’m using Gemstone Mousse in Golden Gem and for the silver accent, I’m using transfer foil. In all honesty, I wish I had some Diamond Gemstone Mousse – it would’ve be much faster and just as beautiful!

Back to finger painting again. I finger paint one of the snowflakes with Dixie Belle’s Gemstone Mousse.

Again, it’s water-based and non toxic so I can wash it right off. That reminds me; maybe we’ll watch Goldfinger over the holidays 🙂

Before putting away the Mousse, paint some MDF letters gold too! For a blog that prides itself on the three R’s (reduce, reuse and recycle), I was dismayed to find that there were only two ‘R’s in the package of MDF letters we got from the dollar store. But that’s ok, we did manage to improvise another R!

To add the silver foil around the wreath, you have to paint on an adhesive and wait 10 minutes until it becomes tacky.

Then place a piece over the shape – shiny side up – and rub it on. I find that using something hard to scrape is the best way to adhere it to the wreath.

Before peeling the backing off, take a peek as you rub to check the progress of the transfer. If there is still areas without foil, go back and rub those spots again. When satisfied, peel it off and move onto the next leaf.

Clean the Washboard

In order to clean the washboard well, I pried off two boards nailed to the back to gain full access to the glass. I used glass cleaner to remove years of filth.

Assemble Washboard Decor

Now it’s time for the fun stuff! Gather some twine, sparkly laser tape and mini wood clothespins.

I painted enough letters to play with two wording ideas. Merry Christmas turned out to be too long for the width of the washboard.

Merry and Bright was just right! Below is the wallpaper I’m using to cover the signage on the fronts of each washboard. It’s from a wallpaper sample book we got for free! It pulls in the Fluff and Haint Blue colours of the chalk paint as well as the gold Gemstone Mousse! 

Create the Advent Calendar

First, working on the advent calendar, cut pieces of twine to span the width of the washboard. Measure how much distance you need to fit 12 origami shirts.

Then use invisible tape to secure the twine on both sides.

Run a piece of laser tape down the middle of each washboard leg right over the invisible tape holding the twine. Trim off any excess sticking out the sides.

Add a snowflake and the other 12 origiami shirts, from part 1 of this project, and you’ve got yourself another cute advent calendar idea! In reality, I may not hang the laundry out to dry (Hubs does the laundry around here), but I sure know how to craft it!

The other Christmas washboard decor got matching wallpaper, some snowflake embellishments and of course the family wreath.

Here they are together before we add them to our Christmas display.

I couldn’t wait to see how the other half of the advent calendar, the washboard, looks leaning up on our Christmas sleigh decor! It all looks so pretty together. We don’t have room for a tree, so this our our little slice of Christmas decor.

We hope you’re getting crafty by now for Christmas too; it really is the most wonderful time of the year! Check out these 31 Christmas Craft Ideas for Adults!

Pin Christmas Washboard Decor

Pinning is always welcome and appreciated!

Do It Over Designers

Our talented blogger friends have some amazing and inspiring Christmas DIYs this month. Don’t forget to visit these posts for more upcycled do-it-over transformations!

• Modern on Monticello
• Pandora’s Box
• Purple Hues & Me
• Southern Sunflowers 
• Unique Creations by Anita
• Interior Frugalista
• The Apple Street Cottage
• Exquisitely Unremarkable