• Home
  • About
  • Tutorials
  • Recipes
  • Furniture
  • Contact
    • Contact
    • Infertility
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
  • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

Reality Daydream

The Dream is Free, The Hustle Sold Separately

  • Home
  • About
  • Tutorials
  • Recipes
  • Furniture
  • Contact
    • Contact
    • Infertility
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
  • Shop

Carved Leaf Shelf Tutorial

December 9, 2019 by Bethany Sy

I have to admit, I’ve had a project on my to-do list for… A LONG TIME. As in, years. I’ve loved this little leaf shelf and had it pinned to my Pinterest Projects board for a very long time.

*This post is sponsored by Dremel. Thank you for supporting the fabulous brands that make Reality Daydream possible! This post contains affiliate links.*

Now that I have some pretty amazing Dremel rotary tools (and the Dremel 4300 is perfect for this type of carving project!), I know I could pull this off. So it was finally time to TAKE ACTION ALREADY!

Leaf Shelf Supplies

  • 2’x4′ board (3/4″ thickness) …I used pine
  • Long ruler or T-square
  • Jigsaw
  • Drill
  • Dremel 4300
  • Bit #1
  • Bit #2
  • Sandpaper
  • White acrylic paint
  • Wood Stain (I used this stuff)

Since I have no idea what the actual dimensions of the leaf shelf are, I decided to just start drawing out my design the size I wanted it. I started out drawing the straight lines where the shelf would be, and then doing the scallopy leaves between them.

This might seem daunting to you to just draw it out, but it’s not bad! Just use a pencil so you can modify your design as you go… until it’s just right!

Begin cutting out the outline with a jigsaw! Remember, this doesn’t have to be perfect. Leaves come from nature, and they’re all different in their own special way!

At this point, it’s time to drill holes in those spaces between the leave and stem. Just make sure you’re using a drill bit that’s large enough that your jigsaw blade will fit into it.

Go ahead and cut out those inner pieces with your jigsaw now!

BOOYA!

Time for the fun part! Let’s get out that Dremel 4300! This thing is SO multi-purposeful. It can be used for engraving, sanding, routing, polishing, grinding, cutting… THE SKY IS THE LIMIT!

I recommend playing around with it on a scrap piece of wood for a couple minutes just to get the feel for it, and try out different bits to see how they perform for your project vision.

I ‘outlined’ the midrib of the leaf (which is the main vein) with the Dremel, and then came in with smaller veins coming out of that. I did use a ruler to draw out the main vein, but the smaller veins… I just went for it and eyed it. I want it to look artsy and carved. Not too perfect. 😉

I also rounded off that center stem from the bottom all the way to the top. Here’s what it looks like with my carving half done! The Dremel 4300 is SO FUN to use. There are so many things I want to experiment with it!

EEEEK! Isn’t it gorgeous!

I took an orbital sander to it to smooth things out a bit, then hand-sanded the inner edges and nooks/crannies.

I love how it looks as natural wood! But the goal is to make it look as much like the picture as possible. So I dry-brush on a little white acrylic paint to ONLY the stripey part of the leaves, being sure I get it down into the crevices.

Then, once the paint is dry, I hit it with an orbital sander to take the paint off the high surfaces. Then stain the WHOLE THING!

Do one leaf at a time, and wipe it off with a cotton cloth as soon as you’re done applying it.

Let’s add the actual shelves now, shall we?!

If you have a large-ish compass, use that! But we don’t, so we fashioned one using two shop pencils and a teeny tiny clamp.

After measuring the lengths of each of the 3 shelves, I found the center and traced the half-circles.

These got a coat of stain too! And the original plan was to affix them to the leaf backer using pocket holes… but unfortunately this ended up cracking the wood. So we decided to use a countersink pilot hole and go straight through the back into the shelves.

This worked beautifully, and I was kicking myself for putting those pocket holes in at all!

YOU GUYS. I’m soooooooo in love with how this turned out. I don’t even know what I want to put on it. But I DO know that I can’t decide which room to hang it in… I want one for every room in my house!

Look at the carved detail! I DID THAT!

It’s such a conversation piece! And I love that it incorporates my love of plants AND woodworking!

I would be so grateful if you would pin this to Pinterest to help share the love!

You should also check out these other ‘leaf-inspired’ woodworking projects I’ve done in the past!

Related:

  • Wooden Centerpiece Tray Tutorial

    I have a fun and easy building project for you! And while I do end…

  • DIY Fabric-Covered Bulletin Tutorial

    My kids are getting to the age where they want to tape pictures, cards, notes...…

  • Test Tube Propagation Station Tutorial

    I've been needing to figure out a solution for my overwhelming plant propagation situation for…

About Bethany Sy

Nick and Bethany Sy are the creative free-spirits behind DIY/Lifestyle blog, Reality Daydream. They recently purchased a historic mansion and have been documenting the ups and downs of renovation and making this home their own... all while sharing tips and tutorials along the way! When they found themselves in the trenches of infertility, they started a journey that would prove to be their most important DIY project ever, and have 3 beautiful girls to show for it. <3

« My Studio: DREAMBOX
DIY Collapsible Dollhouse for 18″ Dolls »

Comments

  1. 13

    Emilee Anderson says

    January 9, 2020 at 10:35 am

    Wow! This is beautiful! I especially love the finish on the leaves. I’d love to try this technique on some future projects.

    Reply
  2. 14

    Maureenchantr y says

    December 15, 2019 at 7:34 am

    Love this will try.

    Reply
  3. 15

    IAN MCBRIDE says

    December 10, 2019 at 6:12 pm

    Hi, Great idea with just a simple slab of inexpensive pine. need to give it a try, hope you don’t mind. Going to try with vine leaves to get that climbing effect. Your does look rather good though. Keep up the good work!

    Reply
  4. 16

    Brooke says

    December 10, 2019 at 11:45 am

    I love how turned out. It looks amazing!

    Reply
  5. 17

    Alanna says

    December 10, 2019 at 5:42 am

    Gorgeous!!! I can’t wait to make one. …after the kitchen remodel and you know how those go.?

    Reply
  6. 18

    Guerrina says

    December 10, 2019 at 2:31 am

    Magnificent! You did an awesome job and I can’t wait to try it.

    Reply
  7. 19

    Liz says

    December 10, 2019 at 1:30 am

    Oh. Em. G! It turned out amazing!! Love it!!??

    Reply
  8. 20

    Rachael says

    December 10, 2019 at 1:03 am

    Love your style! Great project, it turned out amazing!

    Reply
  9. 21

    Darrell Reed says

    December 10, 2019 at 12:18 am

    as an amateur woodworker that’s really cool and if you don’t mind I’m going to try my own!

    Reply
  10. 22

    Tina says

    December 10, 2019 at 12:04 am

    Love it!!

    Reply
  11. 23

    Carla from Kansas says

    December 9, 2019 at 11:28 pm

    I’m impressed with your skill with the jigsaw!! Then with the dremel. Looks great.

    Reply
  12. 24

    Ann says

    December 9, 2019 at 10:09 pm

    Looove it! I definitely pinned it and hope I can get the courage to tackle this one day!

    Reply
  13. 25

    Vikki says

    December 9, 2019 at 9:40 pm

    Another masterpiece! This shelf is so unique. I love it with the stain but I’m thinking it would look good painted also.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • YouTube
We are Nick and Bethany! Welcome to our blog, Reality Daydream where we share our DIY adventures!

realitydaydream

Still can’t get over these shelves. 😍 These Still can’t get over these shelves. 😍

These Aksel Radius Floating Shelves by @shelfology are the perfect finishing touch to this wall in our kitchen. 🙌

#gifted #shelfology #radshelfie #floatingshelf #akselradius
I needed an instant-gratification project today fo I needed an instant-gratification project today for my well-being, and this little wooden stand was so fun and fast!

Details and links to everything in this pic in Stories!
If ya just need a slab of wood, grab a cutting boa If ya just need a slab of wood, grab a cutting board when you’re at Target or Walmart! They’re made of hard wood!

I used this cutting board to experiment and make some prototypes for a large-scale piece of art I’m doing for our church. It’s got me EXCITED!

Follow along for that project- happening soooon!

@dapproducts @dremel @jet.woodworking
You’ve all seen the video, but here’s some sti You’ve all seen the video, but here’s some still shots of the kitchen wall in all its glory!! 

The Aksel Radius Floating Shelves by @shelfology were the perfect finishing touch! 

Should I do a house tour of our main floor this week?!?! 🙌🌿

#sponsored #floatingshelf #radshelfie
Load More Follow on Instagram
View of our entryway of our historic mansion that we're slowly renovating and making our own.
Click here for lots of art projects using only wood stain on furniture!!
Please feel free to share or pin my posts! You're welcome to use ONE of my images (no collages or pinnables) with a link back to the corresponding post. Please do not edit or crop that single image in any way. Improper use of my photos, ideas or words is a violation of copyright. Thank you!

Categories

Attention: Almost any do-it-yourself project involves risk of some sort. Your tools, materials, and skills will vary, as will the conditions at your project site. Reality Daydream has made every effort to be complete and accurate in the instructions of the plans on this website. Reality Daydream will not assume any responsibility or liability for damages or losses sustained or incurred in the course of your project or in the use of the item you create. Always follow the manufacturer’s operating instructions in the use of tools, check and follow your local building codes, and observe all commonly accepted safety precautions.

 

Copyright © 2023 ¡ Modern Blogger Pro On Genesis Framework ¡ Customizations by Sweet Theory Designs ¡ Privacy Policy ¡ Log in