DIY Wooden Watermelon Slice Decorations

Nothing says summer like watermelon! These giant wooden watermelon slices will give your home a fun pop, and are easy to make with scrap wood.

One of my favorite ways to use up chunky wood scraps is to create oversize seasonal decorations. So far, I've made huge Conversation Hearts for Valentine's Day...

and enormous lemon and lime slices perfect for a lemonade stand or drink station.

Now I'm going to add some DIY watermelon decor to the collection!

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Materials Needed

• 2 x 12 wood scraps (at least 12" x 9")
• Jigsaw
• Sandpaper
• Tack cloth
• Craft brushes
• Acrylic craft paint
  • I used white, black, hunter green and apple red.
• Dremel or drill with sanding drum attachment (optional)

How to Make Wooden Watermelon Slices

Cut the wood to a manageable size

I started by digging through my scrap pile for those oddly shaped, wide pieces of lumber. I used 2x12 pieces, but you could cut down a 1x10, 2x10 or even plywood for this project. Each piece should be at least 9"x12".

Sand down the faces of your piece, and try to find a section with minimal knots.

Cut or draw a template

You can draw out these simple watermelon slices yourself, but since my drawing ability is limited to stick figures, I had my Silhouette machine cut a stencil for me. Simple designs work best when making these oversize pieces, so I chose this watermelon cut file. Love the bite taken out of the half-circle slice!

Enlarge all the pieces so they'll fit on your wood scrap. Make sure all the curves stay in proportion to each other by keeping them aligned on your screen.

Cut the design out of cheap cardstock, and trace each piece onto your board. You could also replicate this design freehand if you don't have a cutting machine like this one.

Cut out the wooden watermelon slices

Cut the outside edge of each shape out with your jigsaw. Sand down the sides and round over the sharp edges. I used my Dremel with a sanding drum attachment to get into those bite marks.

Paint the watermelon slice

Now, we paint! To give the green rind a mottled appearance, I used random, short strokes and only used one coat of paint. That let some of the light wood color show through to resemble the yellow parts of the watermelon.

Let each color dry before starting the next to avoid color blending. I thought about letting the green and red to bleed into the white like a real watermelon, but decided to go with a crisp line instead.

Finally, paint in the black seeds with a small craft brush.

Once the paint is dry, they're ready to display!

These watermelon slices fit comfortably on my narrow fireplace mantel, and pair perfectly with the lemon and lime already on display.

What other fun shapes should I make with these chunky wood scraps? I'm already thinking of a maple leaf design for fall!