Hey there! Im super excited about today’s project! This DIY Rustic Centerpiece is super simple, cute, and inspired by a bit of history. This fall, during breaks from cooking for guests at the lodge, my sisters, niece and I started exploring old barns and homesteads around the ranch. It was so much fun! I love getting a glimpse back into the past- I just wish I knew every story, every dream held in those old walls.
One of my favorite barns on the ranch has a loft where they used to hold barn dances- I would sure love to know more about those! You can see where built-in bench seats used to line the walls and the piano still sits on its little platform, guarded by one of the most beautiful owls I’ve ever seen.
While we were checking out the barn, my sister, Michelle, spotted some old chicken feeders tucked in a corner and mentioned what cute centerpieces they’d make- especially filled with succulents- genius! We brought a few of them home and I set them aside to clean up later. The old sides were pretty rough, so I came up with a little redesign to sturdy them up, and make them even cuter. I’ll show you how to make them from scratch with just a few supplies!
The sides of this old chicken feeder were rough pressed wood. 
I replaced the old sides with 2″ flat metal bars. 
LOVE!!
First up, here’s what you’ll need for one 9″ centerpiece.
- 1-1×4- you can use scrap pieces, but I prefer cutting angles from a longer board. I like to buy the cheaper furring strips if I can find straight ones.
- 2- Flat metal bar– 1/8″ x 2″ x 9″- We cut these with a chop saw- you could also use a grinder.
- Wood glue
- 1 1/4″ nails- I use my 18 gauge brad nailer to make this super easy!
- 3/4″ Pan Head Screws, a drill, and a good bit for drilling through steel- just big enough for the screws to fit through, plus a smaller wood bit to pre-drill holes.
- Saw for cutting wood- I use my miter saw, but a jigsaw would work, too.
- Finish of choice
- Optional- hot glue gun
I decided to make a bunch of these in different sizes, so I had my husband cut down a longer piece of steel into a bunch of smaller ones- you need 2 for each holder.
The 9″ ones perfectly hold 3 of these super cute succulents I found on Amazon. I also got some of these, which are a little different, but they match these and are a little cheaper.
I think it’s a lot easier to cut the angles from a longer board before cutting them down to size, so I’d recommend cutting your angles from each end of a longer board, then cutting your straight cuts after that.
I measured 1″ in from each side on the top end of the board, then 2″ down from the top. Make a mark, then connect those marks for the angles. Then mark 5″ from the top of your board, and make a straight line. I ended up setting my saw to 64 degrees for the angle cuts. You can also use a jigsaw, or even a band or scroll saw. Hopefully the pictures help explain.
Mark 1″ in from each end. 
Then mark 2″ down each side. 
Connect those marks. 
Measure 5″ down from the top and mark. 
Draw a straight line across your board. 
Set your saw at 64 degrees. 
Cut along the angled lines. 
Straighten out your saw and cut the straight cut last. 
You should end up with a little house shaped piece. Do this twice so you have 2.
Next, cut a 7 1/2″ piece of 1×4, so you should end up with this-
Now, just add some glue along the bottom of the end pieces and nail them onto the base piece like this-
Now, you can sand the wood base as needed and grab your steel pieces. Lay one along the bottom of one side of the base to line up where we need to drill holes in the steel.
I put 3 holes along the bottom, just over 1/4″ up from the bottom edge of the steel- at 2 3/4″, 4 1/2″, and 6 3/4″, then a hole centered along each side, a little over 1/4″ from the edge of the steel.
Set your steel on a scrap piece of wood and drill those holes. You need them on both pieces of steel.
Now, set your steel back in place along the base and pre-drill smaller holes through the steel holes into the wood for attaching everything later.
Alrighty- just about done!! Go ahead and do any painting and staining you want to your wood, steel, and screws. I stained my bases in Dark Walnut, and painted the steel and screws in Soft Iron and some in Copper.
Once everything is dry, it’s time to attach the steel! This is totally optional, but I decided to add a little hot glue before I screwed my steel to the bases just to help sturdy it up a little more. Then, you can go ahead and screw your metal onto the bases!
And you’re done!! Add some succulents and enjoy!
Here are some other variations I made using barnwood and different lengths. You can make these in different sizes real easy- just make your bases and metal longer or shorter, and you can keep the ends the same.
What do you think? Aren’t they so cute?! Thanks to my sister for the inspiration! I think these would be super cute with so many different things displayed in them- don’t you?! I’d love to see what you come up with!
