DIY Wood Mosaic Art

First, make all of your wood cuts for the project. Measure and cut a 2x4-foot piece of plywood to 23¾ x 30 inches to serve as the backing for your project. If you choose to create larger artwork, you'll need to start with a larger sheet of plywood.

Measure and cut the dowels to various lengths. We cut 1-inch, 1¼-, 1½-, and 1¾-inch pieces using a chop saw. To fill our board, we needed 29 dowels, but you may need more or less depending on the size of your artwork. You'll also need to cut the screen bead that will form your frame. Cut two 30-inch pieces and two 23¾-inch pieces, mitering both ends so they will form a square around the plywood once attached.

Once you've cut the dowels to size, sand all edges smooth. This will prevent any sharp corners from sticking out of your artwork. Sanding also helps paint or stain adhere better. Wipe away any sawdust with a tack cloth. 

Related: How to  Choose the Right Sander for Your Project

Paint or stain the blocks as desired. To mimic the look of our blue artwork, dilute acrylic paint with water in a 1:1 ratio to make it more transparent. Vary the amount of water for a lighter or darker shade. We painted a few blocks a diluted white, then painted the remaining blocks in one of four shades of blue. Let dry.

Lay out all of the blocks on the plywood to create a pleasing arrangement of colors and heights. Once you are happy with the look, carefully slide two or three rows off the side of the board. Push over the rest of the rows slightly to make space to work. Working one row at a time, remove the blocks and apply a generous line of wood glue to the board. Return the blocks to their position. Press each block down firmly. Let dry completely, referring to manufacturer’s instructions for drying times.

Once you have all of the dowel blocks glued down, form a frame with pieces of mitered screen bead. Align the 30-inch pieces along the long sides of the plywood and glue in place. Tack with a nail gun to secure. Repeat with the 23¾-inch pieces along the short sides of the plywood. 

After the wood glue has dried, flip the board over and attach D rings to the back for hanging. A drill or screwdriver works for this step. Finally, hang your finished wood art in desired location. The artwork will be quite heavy, so be sure to locate wall studs or use wall anchors.