Hang In There: How to Make a (Reversible) DIY Wood Wall Hanging

In an effort to fill at least one of the blank walls of my house with something other than a painting or print, I came up with this easy DIY wood wall hanging.

And wanted to share the tutorial today. It’s reversible!

My only requirements when starting this project were that I didn’t want it to require more than a few measurements (wasn’t feeling the math vibes that day), a few tools, or add up to more than $20.

And if it could be reversible, that would be cool too. So, that’s what I did!

Click through to see the other side of this reversible wall hanging and learn how to make your own.

The finished project reminds me of a jellyfish or a wind chime of sorts, but the overall shape was actually inspired by…of all things…a pair of earrings! Haha. Can you see it?!

Materials for Wooden Wall Hanging

• 12-inch wood round (find mine in-store at Home Depot)
• 12-inch wood square (preferably same wood type of equal thickness)
• level / straightedge
• chalk or pencil
• sandpaper
• copper wire (bendable)
• wire cutters or durable scissors
• 2 table clamps
• hand saw or circular saw (I use this one)
• drill and small drill bit
• sawtooth picture hanger OR eye hook if making it reversible

*Make it reversible! Add acrylic paints, paint brushes and cup of water to your list of supplies.

How to Make a Wooden Wall Hanging

1. Gather materials and mark off all your measurements.

For the semi-circle, measure and mark the midway point of the circular round.

It should remain 12 inches at the base, with a 6 inch radius from base to top.

Then, measure and mark 4 3-inch sections on the square piece of wood.

Three of the four pieces will be the “legs” of the wall hanging.

The fourth piece will serve as the horizontal attachment, but that will need to be cut down about 1.5-2 inches.

2. Cut each piece along the marked lines.

Time to cut!

Pro-tip: I use a level to provide a steady straightedge to cut along.

Just clamp the wood to a sturdy surface, and the straightedge along the cut line keeping in mind that it will need to be adjusted to accommodate the edge of the saw. 

Once cut, sand each piece to get rid of any splitting or irregular spots.

3. Drill holes for the wire to go through.

Start with one hole centered at the top of each of the 3 legs. You’ll need 5 holes total on the horizontal cross piece – three across the bottom for attaching the legs, and 2 at the top to attach to the semi-circle.

Align the bottom holes with the holes on legs, making sure they hang evenly.

The two top holes should align as well, and will need to coordinate with two holes drilled in the bottom left and bottom right of the semi-circle.

4. Use the copper wire to attach each piece together.

Thread 4-6 inch pieces through each hole and twist until secure on the back side of the wall hanging.

5. Get it ready to hang.

If you’re not going the reversible route and just want to keep it raw wood, you can now install a sawtooth picture hanger to the back of the semi-circle and easily hang on a single nail.

BUT if you do want to make it reversible, this step is reserved for painting one side of the wall hanging with acrylic paints and a paint brush.

Then, after the paint is fully dry, you can add an eye hook to the very top of wall hanging, so that it can be flipped over and hung with either side facing outward for two totally different looks.

More DIY Art Ideas

• 6 simple DIY wall art that look great and don’t cost much to make
• eucalyptus wall hanging idea – This one is incredibly simple, but pretty unique looking imo.
• DIY artwork made with recycled cereal boxes: cereal box ideas
• a DIY art hack that only takes 5 minutes
• and a mixed media painting idea

Photography by Amelia Lawrence
Styling by Brittni Mehlhoff

Which look do you prefer – the raw wood hanging or the earthy rainbow version? I think I like the raw side better personally, but it’s good to have options for days when I’m feeling a bit more enthusiastic.