Hey! I’m back today with a really cute project for your holiday front porch – this DIY Wooden Sleigh.
These antique sleighs are such a pretty addition to your Christmas décor but they can be crazy expensive! And really hard to find. Unless you are lucky enough to have one already or scoop one up through a flea market.
I found this one on Wayfair when I was perusing Black Friday Sales.
I made a look-a-like version with leftover wood from my Dad’s Hutch project (coming soon), and I’ll show you step by step how to make one too.
Things You’ll Need
- 2- 1x2x8 pine wood (furring strips)
- Drill with screwdriver and drill bit (for drilling pilot holes)
- Black Wood Screws 1 inch max
- Miter Saw
- Jigsaw
- Orbital Sander and Sandpaper
- Wood Conditioner (optional)
- Wood Stain – I used Early American
- Polyurethane or Polycrylic (here’s the difference)
DIY Wooden Sleigh Decoration
This goes without saying but I’ll say it anyways – this is not a “REAL” sled. It’s for décor only. Now that got that little disclaimer out of the way, let’s get to the tutorial.
Step by Step Tutorial for Creating a DIY Wooden Sleigh for the Holidays.
Total time: 2 hours
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Cut Wood To Size
You’ll need to use a miter saw (one that can do angled cuts), and make the following wood cuts from your furring strips:
2 legs with 45 degree mitered ends (one one end each) – 37 inches
6 sleigh top boards – 24 inches each
2 sleigh supports – 15 inches
1 crossbar – 17 inches -
Create Sleigh Top
Attach 6 sleigh tops to the two back pieces using 1 inch black screws. I highly recommend drilling a pilot hole in the wood first so you don’t split or crack the wood. I left a small little gap between each board (just eyeballed it). You want to leave room on each side to attach the back supports to the sleigh legs in the next step. Use a pencil to draw a round edge for the top.
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Use Jigsaw to Round Sleigh Top
Use a jigsaw to carefully follow your pencil template that you made the previous step. We are just rounding the edges here. No worries if it’s not perfect – we are going to sand it down later. And it’s supposed to look old!
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Attach Sleigh Top to LEgs
Line up your sleigh legs, and attach the two supports to each leg using black wood screws. Again – drill a pilot hole first. You want the mitered ends to be at the front (top) of the sleigh. Use your best judgement for placement, but leave enough room for attaching a crossbar at the top.
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Attach Crossbar
Attach the crossbar to the top of the sleigh using wood screws. Pilot holes!
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Sand Sleigh
Use an orbital sander to sand the sleigh nice and smooth. Feel free to rough it up a bit. I like the look of a vintage sleigh.
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Stain and Protect
Use your favorite wood stain and then follow up with a couple coats of polyurethane or polycrylic. This sleigh will hold up best under a covered porch.
And that’s all you need to make the wood sleigh! It adds the perfect touch of vintage.
For a decorative touch, I added some reindeer bells I found at an antique shop and a pretty velvet green ribbon. I like to keep things somewhat simple. I start to get all twitchy when it’s too cluttered looking. I like balance and simplicity.
I hope you guys enjoyed this tutorial!
Check out my other Christmas posts here:
- Ugly Christmas Sweater Ideas you Can Buy and DIY
- King Of Christmas Trees Review – One Year Later
- Favorite Holiday Gift Wrap
- My 5 Favorite Ways to Decorate for Christmas
- Free Printable Christmas Artwork
- Hostess Gift Ideas Under $25: Discover Affordable and Thoughtful Picks
xo Karen
Karen Sloan
Karen Sloan is the founder, editor and syndicated content writer of www.decorhint.com. She offers hints of inspiration for everyday living, including home ideas, DIY projects and lifestyle content. Her work has appeared on Google News, MSN, Pioneer Woman, Apartment Therapy, and Bustle, among others.