Sailboats for the Mantle

What is it about these rustic simple sailboats?  They are everywhere!

So I decided I needed more on my mantle.

Sailboats for the mantel

This post contains some affiliate links.  Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

and…here’s my pile of scraps.

and here’s a huge imagination at work building what actually turned out to be my favorite sailboat.

I have a testing bug and am always trying something new.  I cut a triangle for a small sailboat from an old sheet.  Next, I paint both sides with mod podge and let it dry.  Then I painted it with chalkboard paint on both side and let it dry.  I used black chalkboard paint in the quart can, not the spray kind.

and…it works!

I made a chalkboard sailboat!

Now the “boat” itself is from our coffee table that I took apart when I made our industrial cart coffee table.  It’s the corner piece up under the top that holds the legs on.

Anyway, this little sailboat’s my fav:)

Plus, chalkboard fabric…hum!  Opens a whole ton of ideas, so stay tuned!

Map & book Sailboat

Next up…the map sailboat.

Again grabbing that old sheet I cut out two long triangles.  Covered them with mod podge {love that stuff!}  I also covered the back of a map I printed and cut into a bit smaller triangle.  Then glued them together, covering the front of the map with more mod podge.  Let everything dry.

Here’s where things get very weird…even for me.  I cut a boat shape from the pages of an old book.  You can read more about the old books I have that are beyond reading at farmhouse file box.

After I got a boat shape from the old book.  I clamped it to the work table between two pieces of wood.  This held the pages and book steadily while I drilled a hole in the middle of the book.

I glued a scrap spindle for the mast.   The sail is tied it with twine.  I wrapped more twine around the book a couple of time and tied a knot…just because I like the look:)

Burlap Sails

The smallest sailboat took all of 4 minutes to make.  I cut 45-degree cuts with the miter saw into two broken pieces of wood and glued them together.  Drilled the mast hole and glue in a piece of a spindle.  I painted the boat a grayish white.

The burlap {another item we love} sail was simply a triangle piece that I tied on with burlap string that unraveled.

The sailboat collection

My little collection of sailboats for the mantle all made from scraps or bits of MDF.

Scrap sailboats for the mantle all lined up.

Sailboats ready to set sail.

Oh, and I drew a chalk sailboat on the chalkboard firebox area of the scrap wood mantle…just for fun!

Additional sails

The largest white sailboat I made last year for the living room mantle.  You can read the tutorial for DIY Sailboat Number 1 here.

I posted the tutorial for the mattress ticking sailboat {the one on the left} last week.  Here’s a link to DIY Sailboat from Scraps.

Plus, the chalkboard sailboat and DIY sailboat decor.