Make Your First Simple Wood Mosaic DIY Project

Whenever you’re trying something new, I recommend starting small…and by small I mean simple, just so you can get the basics mastered before moving onto more complex skills. In this case we’ll be starting small quite literally. I’m going to show you how to make your first simple wood mosaic diy project.

Then you can show off your mini masterpiece as a piece of miniature wall art or use it daily as a coaster for drinks.

Project Overview

Here’s a quick overview of what you can expect from this project:

Time: 2 hours
Cost: $15 or less
Difficulty: Beginner

Project Supplies

1. Narrow strips of wood. Mine are all scraps from past projects but you can buy these at any hardware store. Mine vary from 1/4″ to 1/2″ width
2. Backer board. I used a scrap piece of plywood 4″x4″
3. Craft paint
4. Cheap foam brushes
5. Lint-free stain rag
6. Wood stain
7. Clear coat. I used Minwax Polycrylic in Satin finish.
8. Wood Glue
9. Saw of some sort. Hand saw, miter saw, something to cut your strips to length!
10. Optional: Nail Gun

I use the kind of cheap acrylic craft paint that you can find anywhere – Walmart, Target, Hobby Lobby, Michael’s, etc. You’ll recognize it in this photo below:

My favorite wood stain is by Minwax and Old Masters. I love the Honey color by Minwax as it’s a rich warm brown. And I use the Spanish Oak by Old Masters for my black stain. Here they are:

In case you’re wondering, “What’s the difference between Wiping Stain and Penetrating Stain?” let me fill you in! Wiping stain is thicker and more pigmented. You can use a rag to wipe it on (although it’s not so thick that you can’t still use a brush). You do have to have to wipe off the excess, though.

Penetrating stain is thinner and runnier. It is not as pigmented as wiping stain so you can see more wood grain.

Let’s get started!

First Prep the Wood

1. Cut the plywood backer board to whatever size you want. I cut mine to 4″x4″ on my table saw. If you don’t have a saw, it’s okay! You can have Home Depot or Lowe’s cut it to whatever size you need. I think they charge $0.50 per cut.
2. Cut the wood strips to match the backer board size. So my strips are all 4″.
3. Sand any rough edges of the backer board and the top surface of the wood strips.

Paint the Wood Strips

Mine were all painted already, because I used scrap wood from previous projects.

Here’s what my pile of scrap wood strips looked like:

Use your craft paint and foam brushes to paint some pretty colors on your wood strips. Acrylic paint dries fast, so your strips could be ready in as little as 30 minutes.

Use your lint-free rag to stain a couple strips, too, if you want some natural wood tones. Let it dry overnight if possible before working with the strips.

Decide on the Arrangement of Colors

Now start playing around with the arrangement of colors.

In the photo above, I was trying to decide whether to add some mustard yellow to this simple wood mosaic diy project. Ultimately, I left it out, but I may still add some hand painted yellow accents later.

After moving the pieces around a bunch I’ve finally landed on this layout. What do you think?

Glue and Nail the Strips Down

It’s time to start gluing the wood strips down for your simple wood mosaic diy.

Optional: If you have a pin nailer (23 gauge) or brad nailer (18 gauge), you can use that to nail the strips down in addition to the glue. It makes it all the more secure for the long term. I use a pin nailer on thin strips like this, as it’s less likely to split the wood.

I personally put a thin strip of glue on the back of a strip and put it in place on the backer board.

Another way to do your gluing is to apply glue to the backer board, allover, then add your glue strips. I find that I often overdo it this way and glue squeezes through the spaces and ends up on the surface of my design. So I stick to gluing the back of the wood strips for my wood mosaics.

Here is my finished simple wood mosaic diy project, all glued and nailed down:

If you want, and have a table saw on hand, you can trim up any uneven edges now.

Apply a Clear Finish

I love using Minwax Polycrylic as a clear coat on my mosaics. It’s water based so it doesn’t stink up your room as you use it. And it’s easy to use since it’s soap and water cleanup. Plus it’s super fast drying. It goes on kind of milky looking, then dries clear.

And just to clarify, even though this is a water-based clear coat, it is permanent once it has dried. You cannot wash it off with water once it’s dry.

You can use a matte finish (no shine), satin (subtle shine), semi-gloss (more shine) or gloss (shiniest). I used satin and usually do.

Show Off Your Simple Wood Mosaic DIY Masterpiece

I set out to make a miniature wood mosaic for wall art with this project, but once I made it I realized it’s the perfect size for drink coasters.

You could either add some picture frame hardware to hang your simple mosaic on the wall, or you could show off your new work of art under a glass of your fav beverage.

If you do choose to use these as a coaster, I think you’ll need a different kind of clear coat – something that won’t be damaged by frequent moisture. Perhaps Helmsman’s indoor/outdoor spar urethane since it holds up to rain outdoors it should be good for moisture under a drinking glass.

If you love these mosaics, I restock my online shop with mosaics about once a month. I even have some with secret compartments! If you’d like an email when the shop is restocked with wood mosaics…

You can sign up below…

Please let me know if you still have questions about how to make your first simple mosaic diy project! I’ll do my best to answer quickly.

Now go build something!