30 Ideas for Wood Slice Painting and Crafts

Painting wood slices for crafts, home decor, and gifts doesn’t necessarily need to use bright colors, glitter, or a lot of flares.

I have worked with wood circles many times, and I can say some of my favorite projects are a bit more subtle and even better at conveying the “down-home” rustic decor vibe that so many of us are searching for.

Based on my passion for painting, experiences, and some internet research for extra knowledge, I’ve collected ideas for giving your home a natural, eco-friendly-looking boost using our favorite wood log slices and circles.

Each of these items compiled here can be enhanced with a touch of creativity and skills so that they can make your living rooms, front porches, bedrooms, dining tables, and kitchens livelier and more inviting this Christmas.

DIY Wood Circle Decor and Painting Ideas

Wondering what to do with those small or large firewood logs, you do not intend to use for a bonfire anytime soon?

Well, I suggest you get your creative hat and put it on because I am about to show you some of the most brilliant and inspiring wood slice painting ideas that will get you excited about finally putting those logs to good use.

Just cut the large wood logs or stumps into round slices and start…

1- Colorful Wood Slice Table Runners

With Christmas and the festive season just around the corner, now is the time to start thinking about decorations. One of the things you will need for sure is a table runner to appeal to and welcome your guests.

The nicely painted wood slice table runner is a great idea to give your table a rustic look. You can paint the slices with Christmas-themed colors, patterns, or designs or leave them natural. Add delicious food and accessories to it, and your table will look fabulous.

Katie, on her blog here, has shared a complete project tutorial along with pictures on how to make some reversible table runners. Her blog (walnut hollow crafts) has many more exciting DIY crafts and ideas you can explore. Check them out if you are already feeling motivated to create some of them this weekend.

2- Wood Slice Easter Egg Coasters

This year, make Easter brunch more exciting by using colorful coasters. The lively, hand-painted designs on each one (as shown in the image here) will definitely get your guests talking.

The beautiful flowers and greenery display are complemented by lovely rustic wood accents and spring elements.

The best part about these DIY coasters is that they appear to be quite time-consuming, but they’re rather simple if you follow the instructions provided here.

3- Painted Wood Slice Ornaments

Beautiful hand-painted natural wood ornaments and cones are readily available at stores like Etsy for decorating your Christmas tree. But why spend money on something when you can make it yourself with much more love and creativity, right?

To add more personalization to your tree, make some of these painted wood slice ornaments with the help of your little ones (and older ones) at home. They will have a lot of fun painting these ornaments in their favorite colors and designs.

You can even use a wood-burning technique or acrylic paint to make wood ornaments look attractive.

Feeling excited – get detailed instructions on how to make these Christmas decorations beautiful by painting them – here in the video shared by Mira Byler. I hope this wood slice painting tutorial will inspire you to create something beautiful.

4- Rustic Wall Art Decor

Wall hanging, backdrop, large custom wall art, etc., can all be made by slicing, crafting, and painting reclaimed pieces of a tree trunk.

The creator here has used a rather simple technique that involves painting the wood slices in a single color (with shades of blue) and then leaving the other pieces to look natural.

You can get more creative with printing or stenciling some patterns and designs on the wood slices before painting them – if you feel to. This will give your wall decor a more personal decorative look that shows off your taste and personality.

5- Painted Wood Slice Christmas Wreath

Welcoming your guests with a homemade Christmas wreath is a great way to show off your holiday spirit and creativity – it’s perfect for anyone who loves the rustic farmhouse style and wants to add a touch of it to their Christmas decor.

This particular wreath (shown in the image) is made with painted wood slices in matte black, which makes it look rustic and natural. You can add some evergreen branches, berries, cones, etc., to make it look more festive.

6- Garden Planters with Wood Rounds

Leftover firewood, logs, branches, and stumps at our place are often treated as waste and disposed of. But with a little creativity, passion, and fascination with setting things up, they can be turned into something beautiful and useful like these garden planters.

The best part is that you don’t even need to buy new wood for this project as long as you have some old pieces lying around in your backyard.

Do not forget to add some holes into it at the bottom and seal the wood for a bit of waterproofing that will allow your plants to breathe for a long. If you’re someone who loves green plants and gardening, then this might be the perfect weekend project for you.

7- Wooden Discs Flower Pots

Flower pots made of cement are so yesterday – it’s time to give them a rustic makeover with some wooden discs.

Not only will they look fabulous placed around your home, but they will also make great gifts for your friends and family who love indoor plants and gardening. You can customize and make the designs of these pots as you want to give your succulents and cacti a cozy and stylish home.

8- Wood Cutout Tall Floor Vase

Similar to the above, a DIY tall floor vase made with wood rounds and cutouts is also an excellent way to add some natural charm and warmth to your home decor.

This particular vase has been designed with a modern touch and can be used to spruce up any room in your farmhouse – from the living room to the bedroom.

You can either paint the wood rounds or leave them natural to give your vase a more rustic look. A complete tutorial for this easy project can be found here, and you won’t believe all it takes is a few hours and some passion for completing this.

9- Wooden Slice Love Heart for Valentine

Small size tree wood slices can be transformed into a beautiful heart-shaped design to impress your girlfriend or wife this valentine’s season. Paint it in the color red or leave the slices to look natural with impressive wooden rings varnished with a clear sealer.

You can also add some small craft decorations, greeting cards, strings, ribbons, or some colored paper to make it look even more attractive – ideas are simply endless!!!

This wooden heart design can also be a great gift for newlyweds or couples celebrating their anniversary.

10- Wood Cookie Stools

Want some unique ideas and inspirations for creating stools for your bar, kitchen, or dressing table?

Check the image above and feel amazed to see how some old tree cookies can be used so brilliantly to design beautiful stools like these.

You will need some sturdy and thick wood slices for the seats and some logs or tree stumps for the legs. You can even use hairpin legs if you want. Make sure to sand the pieces down and seal them before you start working on this project so that no splintered edges come in contact with your skin.

11- Stylish Wood Slice End Table

Nightstands, side tables, sofa tables, coffee tables, or end tables – whatever you want to call them, these little pieces of furniture are extremely versatile and come in handy in almost every room of your house.

If you have some wood slices lying around, then why not put them to good use and create a stylish end table like the one shown in the image above?

This particular table has been designed with a Scandinavian touch, and the best part is that it can be easily made at home with some basic woodworking and painting skills.

12- Dining Table with Epoxy Finish

The dining table in your home should be welcoming, comfortable, and stylish so that you can have amazing family dinners every night.

And what could be more inviting than a beautifully designed wooden dining table like this one? This particular table has been made with reclaimed cedar wood pieces and given a smooth epoxy finish that makes it look absolutely stunning.

13- Picnic Table and Outdoor Benches

This festive season, not only are your indoors, but you also want to make your outdoors look beautiful and inviting, don’t you?

And what’s a better way to achieve that than by setting up a picnic table with some benches in your backyard or garden?

You can make this idea happen by using some old sanded-down and well-sealed wooden boards, large tree stumps, or even some giant wood slices.

14- DIY Door Mats with Wooded Discs

Door mats are one of those things that are both functional and stylish at the same time.

And if you want to add a touch of rusticity and nature to your home décor, then why not make your own doormat with some wood discs or slices?

Collect and glue the wood pieces together on a board, paint the discs, or leave them as it is – it’s totally up to you.

15- Wooden Bear-skin Floor Decoration

I found this piece of floor decoration on Etsy so impressive that I just couldn’t resist sharing it with you all. It’s made of high-quality spruce wood slab hand-carved to perfection and given a smooth touch.

The design is not only unique but also very stylish and is sure to be a conversation starter in your home. Add it to your floor or vertically as wall art.

Although it’s a bit on the expensive side, this wooden bear-skin rug design is definitely worth every penny if you can get inspired and make a similar one at your home in a DIY way.

16- Personalized Wedding Favors for Guests

If you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind wooden tealight/candle holder with a custom name tag, look no further and get some inspiration to make one like here.

Perfect for bulk thank-you gifts at weddings, bridal showers, baptisms, engagements, or any other special occasion – your guests will love these beautifully decorated pieces of unique favors.

You can make and also give these items to your employees on various occasions like business success, retirement, labor day, or Christmas.

17- Rustic Wooden Slice Mirror Frame

An antique piece of furniture can really add a touch of elegance and sophistication to any room. And this particular rustic wooden slice mirror frame built with countryside log craft ideas is the perfect example of that.

It’s been made with reclaimed wood and given a weathered look that makes it appear as if it’s been around for centuries – a perfect project for you to take on and add a bit of character to your home décor.

18- Wooden Slice Bird Feeder

Another great outdoor wood slice craft idea is this one, where you can make a bird feeder with some reclaimed wood pieces and slices. You can design it in the form of a simple birdhouse or as a swing for your feathered friends.

Either way, it’s sure to be a great addition to your backyard décor when painted, stained, and varnished with a waterproof sealer meant for outdoor wood.

19- Cat Tree and Scratcher Pole

Want to give your lovely black kittens a relaxing place to scratch their nails and enjoy a great time watching TV?

How about making a cat tree with some logs or wood slices that they can easily climb up and down on? This will also save your expensive furniture from their nails while they enjoy themselves.

When building them up yourself, make sure that the tree logs, driftwood, or slices you use are properly sanded and sealed to avoid any injuries.

20- Naturally Painted Wine Holder

A large wine rack or even a small wine holder in your basement wine bar or kitchen room will look great when made with some logs or wood slices.

Choose the perfect sizes and designs as per your requirements and the extra space you have. And within no time, you’ll have a great place to store all your wine bottles and glasses.

This design will require some woodworking skills and tools to make holes in the wine bottles and glasses. But it’s still a fairly easy project to take on if you have the right set of drill bits with you. Below is a video that will help you choose the right drill bit based on your project requirement.

21- Key Holder with Wood Circle

This is one of the simplest things to make out of unfinished wood circles – you can make them for yourself or give them as a gift.

Audrey Kuether shared the tutorial in easy-to-follow steps with lovely photos here in her blog post.

For getting the design you see here, you will need a wooden circle (the size is up to you, but 3-4 inches in diameter works well), gold screw hooks, some sandpaper, gold metallic paint or wax, and acrylic paint (in the color of your choice). Also, to apply the paint, you will need a few paintbrushes.

Hand screws work very well here in this project as you can easily screw them into the wood by hand wherever you wish.

22- Painted Key Chain

For making a key chain, you can choose any design or shape for your wooden slice. A simple circle or oval will also do the trick.

Paint your design with your favorite colors and add a key ring to the top. You can either paint it with a waterproof sealer or leave it as it is for a natural look.

23- Wedding Centerpieces and Table Decor

Vintage wedding table decorations and rustic centerpieces are all the rage these days. So, if you’re looking for something unique and out of the box for your special day, go with this wood slice charger plate idea.

It’s a fairly easy project to do and only requires some sanding, staining, and varnishing of the wood slices.

You can either use them as charger plates and table numbers or as coasters for the glasses and mugs. You can even use a thick slice of wood (as shown in the picture) to add some decorations like mason jars, candles, or even some fresh flowers.

24- Custom Fridge Magnets and Kitchen Decor

With these unique wood slice magnets, you can turn your child’s artwork and photos into fridge art that’ll always capture attention.

Whether it’s to display their schedules or as personalized gift tags, they’re a creative way to add vibrant charm. Plus with some paint and mod podge, anyone can make them – just like the thick slices used for stylish coasters or table decorations when paired with mason jars and candles.

25- Rustic Wood Bark Clock

If you are seeking a unique, original wall clock or desk clock for your home, then why not make use of some old pieces of wood rounds and construct one yourself?

With only simple tools like sandpaper, adhesive, battery-powered clock mechanisms, and plastic numbers from 1 to 12 (or paint them over the wood if desired), this DIY project is achievable no matter what level of skill.

The design possibilities are as vast as your imagination – so get creative. Let these live-edge wood slices unleash their charm in your space without breaking any banks.

26- DIY Monogrammed Family Name

Monogrammed, painted, or engraved family name on a tree wood slice is one of the best ideas to show off your family name (or even your initials) in a creative way.

You can even paint, write with a marker pen or draw some customized photos, messages, and motivational quotes on the wood slices and make them into a beautiful piece of art for gifting purposes.

Any type of wood for this project will do the job, but a thick tree cookie gives it a more rustic look.

27- Cutting Board with Wooden Discs

A cutting board for your kitchen is essential and is pretty easy to make with an old tree stump. Finish it by rubbing the slice with sandpaper and adding some mineral oil which will give it a beautiful shine and make it look like new.

28- Wooden Serving Trays and Platters

Taryn Whiteaker shared useful advice and instructions on how to make a DIY wood slice serving board on her blog here in just 30 minutes. Like the above project, all you will need is some sandpaper, food-grade mineral oil, and a few other supplies to get started.

29- Wooden Charging Station

Adding a handmade wooden cell phone stand and a charging station to your desk are great ways to declutter your nightstand and keep your devices organized and within reach.

This project is pretty easy to make with a piece of the thick wood slice and some paint or clear varnish.

The tutorial for the above smartphone stand can be found here. It’s in Spanish, but the pictures you will find here can be helpful if you don’t understand the language.

30- Jewelry Display and Holder

DIY jewelry holders out of wood round can be made in a variety of different designs and styles depending on the type of jewelry pieces you have to display and the look you are trying to achieve.

This particular project uses some small pieces of birch bark glued onto a wood slice. You can use a hot glue gun or some other type of strong adhesive to attach the bark.

Once the bark is in place, you can attach the slices to the wall or add some small hooks to hang your jewelry pieces.

This is a great way to display your necklaces, bracelets, and earrings in a stylish and organized way. Use them at home or to display the collection at your retail store.

Final Thoughts

There are innumerable things to make out of wooden slices, logs, and branches. From small wood slice craft ideas to big projects, the sky is the limit.

Do not forget to paint, stain or varnish the wood before using it for any of the projects mentioned above to achieve a beautiful and long-lasting finish.

I hope you enjoyed this roundup of some fabulous wood slice ideas and that you found some inspiration to get started on your own creative DIY paint and decoration project.