Oh yeah!
You asked!
So we’re answering 🙂
*Do a little Dance* …. BECAUSE it’s Throwback Thursday Tutorial time! (Totally just made that up. We’ve never done this before. This might be the first and only time we do this… but let’s make it count, shall we?)
Tee hee.
Since doing our little update on the state of our DIY Kitchen – One Year later, we’ve had a few requests for a new and updated tutorial on How to DIY a Herringbone Back Splash.
Happy to oblige 🙂
It all started with a budget. $5.
The budget was $5.
Good thing you can buy a pack of wood shims for $4, huh? 😉
Next, we measured the back splash area. In reality, this technique would be ideal for a bookshelf or cabinet backing or a china cabinet of sorts. Basically a place that is unlikely to get wet or soiled and that has fairly square edges. Then cut a piece of cardboard (from the recycling bin – please don’t buy cardboard lol) to the same size.
Mark the middle of your cardboard with a ruler. And then proceed to cut your shims down to size. Our are approximately 4 inches long – though some vary ever so slightly.
Did I mention this project is not for the perfectionist? No? Well folks, this project is not for perfectionists 🙂
Now – here’s where if you’re good at math, you’ll be better than I was. I just eyeballed the angles, laying my shims down the centre of my cardboard until they looked good enough. If you’re good at math – then you can do something math-y at this point.
Wood glue, a little pressure, a little dancing – and they’re secure. At which point, you can just cut shims to fill out the herringbone pattern. You have to cut the corner tip off the shims in order to get them to fit. This is all stuff you can do with a good pair of kitchen sheers. (Just watch your fingers.)
I went over mine with one coat of wood conditioner and then a thin coat of Minwax White Pickling stain to dull down the orange tone of the shims. But that was just personal preference.
Voila. C’est fini!
Take your cardboard plus herringbone wood shim creation and shove it tightly into your shelf. Mine was so snug, I didn’t even secure it with anything! (Do I get a DIYer badass badge or what?! haha)
Still have a loonie to spend! Who wants a Timbit? 😉
-E
PS. Sharing this post with any and all of these fine link parties including Remodelaholic and Thrifty Decor Chick.
