I was so ready for another power carving project and wanted to try out some new burrs and/or textures. And while scrolling thru Instagram I got inspired by a couple of fellow makers…. something round from Cecilia @theshop_wooddesigns and something with holes from Chris @zumkellerswoodshop. Both make AWESOME work as you can see below.

This post IS sponsored by Saburrtooth Superior Power Carving Tools. All opinions are my own. This post DOES contain affiliate links. See DISCLOSURES page for my details on affiliate programs.

I already had a couple of 24” round craft panels from some previous projects to use, so first up I just needed to decide on my design and/or pattern. So off to the internet for some design inspiration.

You can purchase these glued up panels from any of the big box stores.

Once I found a design I liked I went ahead and laid out a rough sketch of it on the board. The board is made up of glued up pieces of about 2” wide boards, so I decided to use those seams as a natural break in my design. And for the holes I was going to use three (3) different sized forstner bits (1 3/8”, 1” and 1/2”). So as I decided where I wanted them I put a B = Big, M = Medium, and S = Small. That way I would be confused once I got to the cutting process.

First up was cutting or drilling out the 1 3/8” holes. I was a little nervous about my design at this point… but after the first hole was cut there was no going back. I used my WEN 12” Variable Speed Drill Press for this. You don’t need a drill press for this project, but using the drill press does make quick work of cutting the holes. Unfortunately the drill press couldn’t reach all the way to the middle of the board, so I did end up having to use my drill for those.

If you don’t have any forstner bits, I recommend getting a starter kit like this one from Freud.

And then I cut the M = Medium or 1” holes and then lastly the S = Small or 1/2” holes. And this is what I was left with… kinda looks like a swiss cheese board! And even though I wasn’t quite sure about this project yet, I had my shop buddy Awesome Oscar in the shop with me that day… so it was a good day.

A messy, but good day! If he hangs out with me more often I am going to have to get better at cleaning the shop!

Now onto texture to really transform this piece. Oh… and at this point I was just planning on this being a wall art piece and not a shelf.

After practicing with almost every single Saburrtooth burr I own, I decided that the 3/8” dove tail burr worked the best for me to make the lines. A lot of the other burrs worked, but this one just felt the best in my hands and helped me control of the depth of cut. I do recommend trying several different burrs til you find the one that works just right for you.

I started with carving the lines down the glue seams of this round or about every 2”. These lines aren’t perfectly straight and that is what I love about them… carving them instead of using a router and a straight edge gives an organic look.

Wanna see exactly how I create this texture? Check out the video on my YouTube channel.

Easy DIY Plant Shelf | with AWESOME texture!

Then once all the lines were carved I started making lines perpendicular to those at varying thickness and closeness. And this is what I ended up with.

Love using my Ryobi Rotary Tool when using 1/8” shank burrs.

It looked super cool, but it was hard to really see the texture, so I decided I need to add some color to really make this texture stand out. So, I spray painted it black…. even inside the holes. This paint just doesn’t have be super nice, I was just trying to get the black into the grooves of the texture.

It’s starting to come alive at this point.

Then I sanded it off, leaving only the black in the grooves and on the edges of the piece.

I was loving how it looked, but the was just a little too much contrast between the black and the wood tone. So, I decided to stain the wood a light color. I used custom mix of Minwax natural and provincial for a light look. And the stain really brought out the wood grain! Plus, I really liked how it highlighted the different pieces of wood and the different grain patterns.

But the piece wasn’t quite done for me, it needed something. So I decided to make it into a shelf. Luckily I had another round sitting around for a previous project fail, so I used my jigsaw and cut a piece of it off to become the shelf. I painted that solid black.

And then I attached the shelf to backer using some small angle brackets and several longer screws drilled in from the back. I didn’t want to use big brackets because I didn’t want to be able to see them and I didn’t think the screws thru the back into the shelf would be enough, so the small brackets and screws was my solution.

I painted the hardware black so it would be hidden once installed.

Then to hang the piece I added a keyhole slot to the back using my router and a keyhole slot bit. Since the piece was round it took me a second to make sure everything was gonna be level. But luckily I ended up using the seams of the board as a starting point. That along with a square I was able to make it straight.

Since I don’t have a plunge router I made a starter hole with a small forstner bit before using the keyhole bit.

Keyhole slots allow the piece to sit flush with the wall.

And once I had that, this piece was ready to be hung and decor added! And you know I had to add a plant and a pop of orange!

I love how this piece turned out. From a scrap piece of wood to a little design inspiration to an AWESOME textured shelf! Power carving adds so much character to a piece and takes it from okay to AWESOME in my book. I can’t wait to try this line texture on a piece of furniture… what kind of piece can you imagine this texture on? Tell me in the comments below.

I hope you enjoyed this project as much as I did and that it inspires you to try power carving! It doesn’t cost that much to get started and the sky is the limit with the AWESOMENESS you can create.

Thanks for following my building journey… and remember Build LOUD, Build Wild and have an AWESOME day!

Sadie Mae

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