DIY Branch Desktop Calendar Holder

Now that you’ve gotten the kids back to school, hopefully you have a few extra moments free to give yourself some crafty, creative “me time!”

Get your desktop organized for the back to school season with this quick, easy, and budget friendly project. Create a simple stand for your desktop calendar with a fallen tree branch and a little craft paint. Just a few steps and you can create your own in no time!

Today’s post is by the lovely Chelsea Mohrman, the blogger behind Farm Fresh Therapy, where she shares easy & budget friendly DIY projects as well as snippets of life & home adventures in the Midwest. Find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

DIY Painted Stump Calendar Holder

Supplies

• Tree branch with live edge
• Craft paint
• Paint brush
• Clear polyurethane
• Saw
• Sandpaper (optional)
• Desktop calendar

1.   Use a saw (here we used a band saw but you can also use a simple hand saw) to cut a piece of branch approximately 2-3″ wide. Try to chose a larger branch with a live bark edge (we used one approximately 5″ in diameter) to accommodate your desktop calendar.

2.   Make a cut down the center of your branch face with the saw. Depress your saw approximately 1/4-1/2″ into the branch face. Sand any areas around the edges of the if needed to remove any splinters.

3.   Paint the top branch face with craft paint (in a bright fun color that coordinates well with your desktop and calendar). Paint a few coats if needed.

4.   Let the paint dry for approximately 1 hour (or as indicated on the back of the bottle of paint).

5.   Finish off the stump with a thin coat of clear polyurethane (or any other desired finish). Apply a thin coat to the top first, working your way out towards the bark. Then slowly coat the bark with a thicker layer of finish to keep it from losing any flakes. Let dry overnight.

Place the calendar insert for this month on your holder to catch a quick glimpse of the month on your desktop!