I love all the fun and creative pallet ideas that I have been seeing on Pinterest and around the web these days. I love the rustic look that they add to any decor. Living on a farm, I have access to a ton of pallets because that is what use to ship our fruits and vegetables. The only downfall – they are so big. While I was at the craft store recently, I saw these mini-pallets and knew I had to think of something to create with it. That’s where this Christmas Star Pallet Art comes in.

This inspiration for this simple Christmas craft is from a plaque I saw while I was wondering around the craft store that day. I have a tendency to get lost in the craft store. Anyway, the plaque caught my eye and the price made me choke. I knew there was a way I could recreate it for more than half the price. I even brought some of the outside in, and used apple tree branches from our farm for the star.

HERE IS HOW I CREATED THIS CHRISTMAS STAR PALLET ART. IT’S EASY, I PROMISE. YOU WILL FIRST NEED A FEW CRAFT SUPPLIES.

14 by 12″ Pallet

Wood Tint Paint

Cream Chalk Paint

Paintbrush

Glue Gun and Glue Sticks

Natural Jute Twine

Thin Branches

Christmas Picks

I didn’t like the way the natural pallet look, so I first roughly stained it a darker color. This way, when I painted it with the chalk paint, there would be more contrast underneath.

Once the paint was dry, I cut the branches to fit the pallet. I formed a star and then glued the branches together. The nice thing about this project is that the star does not have to be perfect.

To give the star a more rustic look, I tied a piece of jute around each of the five corners. Now, glue the star to the pallet.

 The last step is to glue the Christmas picks to the center of the star. This project is pretty versatile, so if you plan on leaving your star out all year, then skip the Christmas pick step and it will look just as great.

I love how this simple craft turned out. Seriously, the longest part was waiting for the paint to dry. And we all know what that is like. I found a perfect spot for it on the table in my great room. How is your holiday decorating coming along? I hope you give this project a try.

This post originally appeared on Melissa's blog: The Farm Girl Gabs (www.thefarmgirlgabs.com).