Chip Gaines Style: 15 Easy Rustic Wood Builds to Make Before the Holidays

Chip Gaines Style is all about sturdy wood, a little sawdust and a lot of fun, and it is the perfect mood for holiday building. Chip Gaines grew up in Texas, and long before the TV cameras showed up, he and his wife Joanna had already renovated about 100 houses together. Their show Fixer Upper first aired in 2013 and helped make farmhouse style one of the most loved looks in American homes. You do not need a crew or a big shop to bring that warm, rustic feel into your own house. Below are 15 easy wood builds in that relaxed spirit, from a shiplap porch sign to a barn door toy box and a chunky beam mantel. These are our own ideas inspired by his look, sized for beginners with basic tools. Grab a tape measure and pick your first project..

Chip Gaines Style Starts With a Shiplap Porch Sign

Chip Gaines Style begins with boards you can see and touch, and nothing says farmhouse like shiplap. Born in 1974 and raised in Texas, Chip spent years as a contractor before TV, as his Wikipedia biography explains. A shiplap porch sign is a gentle first build. Glue a few overlapping boards to two cleats, paint them white and add a simple evergreen tree in deep green. Lean it by the door with a basket of pine and your porch says welcome all season. Where would your sign look best..

You will need: Five 1×6 pine boards about 24 inches long, two 1×2 cleats, wood glue, short screws, white paint, green paint and a small brush.

How to make it: 1. Lay the boards side by side with a nickel gap and screw on two cleats across the back. 2. Paint the front white and let it dry. 3. Sketch a simple tree in pencil and fill it in with green paint.

Chip Gaines Style Barn Door Toy Box on Wheels

With five kids in the Gaines family, toy storage was surely a daily job, and this barn door toy box is a build any busy parent will love. The X brace on the front gives it that classic barn look, and casters let it roll from the playroom to the living room. Use a lid support hinge so the top closes slowly and never snaps on little fingers. Fill it with new toys and set it under the tree for a big Christmas morning surprise. Which room in your house needs it most?

You will need: Half inch plywood, 1×3 pine boards, wood glue, screws, four casters, a soft close lid hinge, two handles, paint and a drill (adult help).

How to make it: 1. Build a plywood box and screw on a plywood lid with the soft close hinge. 2. Frame the front with 1×3 boards and add a diagonal X brace. 3. Paint, add handles and screw on the casters.

Faux Wood Beam Mantel Ledge

A thick wood beam over the hearth is one of the most copied farmhouse looks, but a solid beam is heavy and costly. The trick is a hollow box beam. Three pine boards glued into a U shape slide over a 2×4 cleat screwed to the wall studs. It looks like one solid piece, weighs very little and stains beautifully. Dress it with garland, pine cones and a pair of wreaths, and your living room is ready for the holidays. Would you choose a dark or a light stain?

You will need: Three 1×8 knotty pine boards, a 2×4 cleat, wood glue, finish nails, wood stain, a rag, a stud finder and screws (adult help with the saw and drill).

How to make it: 1. Glue and nail the boards into a three sided U box. 2. Stain it, wipe off the extra and let it dry. 3. Screw the 2×4 cleat into the studs and slide the beam box over it, then nail it in place.

Stair Step Plant Stand for a Sunny Window

Houseplants love a sunny window in winter, and a stair step stand lets every pot catch the light. Each shelf sits a little higher and further back, so no plant shades its neighbor. It is made from simple pine boards and takes one afternoon. Add a little rosemary tree and a few herb pots, and it doubles as a fresh holiday display. Seal the shelves so watering spills wipe right off. What would you grow on the top step?

You will need: A 1×10 pine board, a 1×4 pine board, wood glue, screws, sandpaper, a clear water based sealer and a saw (adult help).

How to make it: 1. Cut two stepped side pieces from the 1×10 and three shelves from the rest. 2. Glue and screw the shelves to the steps on each side, then add a 1×4 back brace. 3. Sand and seal everything twice.

Chip Gaines Style Slatted Boot Tray for the Entry

A contractor knows all about muddy boots, so this Chip Gaines Style boot tray is a natural fit for any entry. Wood slats sit on a low frame with small gaps, so snow and mud drip through instead of pooling on the floor. Set a plastic liner tray underneath for easy cleanup. It costs a few dollars in pine and keeps winter mess right by the door. Paint the frame dark and leave the slats natural for a two tone look. How many pairs of boots pile up at your door?

You will need: Ten 1×2 pine slats, two 1×3 frame boards, wood glue, short screws, outdoor sealer and a shallow plastic liner tray.

How to make it: 1. Build a low rectangle frame from the 1×3 boards. 2. Screw the slats across the top with a finger width gap between them. 3. Seal all sides and set the liner tray underneath.

Planked Wood Headboard From Mixed Boards

A planked headboard makes a bedroom feel warm and finished, and it is easier than it looks. Mix a few stain colors on plain pine boards, then screw the planks to two upright 2×4 legs or a plywood back. The mix of honey, walnut and gray tones gives that reclaimed barn wood feel without hunting for old boards. Make it before guests arrive for the holidays and the guest room gets an instant upgrade. Which stain colors would you mix?

You will need: Six to eight 1×6 pine boards cut to bed width, two 2×4 legs or a plywood panel, three stain colors, rags, screws and a drill (adult help).

How to make it: 1. Stain the boards in three colors and let them dry. 2. Lay them face down in a mixed order and screw them to the legs or panel. 3. Bolt the headboard to the bed frame or mount it to the wall.

Chip Gaines Style Kid Size Workbench for Little Builders

Chip Gaines Style is all about getting your hands dirty, and kids love to copy the grown ups. A little workbench gives them their own spot to hammer, measure and pretend. Build it at counter height for a five year old, add a pegboard back and a low shelf for wood blocks. Stock it with child safe tools and a simple birdhouse kit for a perfect Christmas morning gift. Who is the little builder in your family?

You will need: 2×2 pine legs, a 1×12 pine top, a 1×10 shelf, a small pegboard panel, wood glue, screws, sandpaper and child safe tools for the gift.

How to make it: 1. Cut four legs and screw the top and lower shelf to them. 2. Screw the pegboard to the back legs. 3. Sand every edge smooth and add a coat of clear sealer.

Rustic Raised Dog Bowl Stand

The family dog deserves a holiday build too. A raised bowl stand keeps food and water off the floor, stops bowls from sliding and looks tidy in a farmhouse kitchen. Trace the bowl rim on a pine board, cut the circles with a jigsaw, and add short sides and a back. Match the height to your dog’s chest. Wrap a plaid ribbon around it and it makes a sweet gift for any dog lover on your list. What size would your pup need?

You will need: A 1×12 pine board, a 1×6 board for the sides, two steel bowls with a rim, wood glue, screws, stain, a sealer and a jigsaw (adult help).

How to make it: 1. Trace the bowls on the top board slightly inside the rim and cut the holes. 2. Screw on the sides and a back panel. 3. Stain, seal well and drop in the bowls.

Chip Gaines Style Sawhorse Buffet Table for Holiday Crowds

Big families and holiday crowds need extra table space, and this Chip Gaines Style sawhorse buffet is the fastest fix. Two sturdy wooden sawhorses hold a planked pine top that lifts right off. Set it up in the dining room or on the porch for Thanksgiving and Christmas, then stack it in the garage when the party is over. Paint the legs white and leave the top a warm stain. Add a garland runner and let the food be the star. How many guests are you feeding this year?

You will need: Two wooden sawhorses or 2x4s and sawhorse brackets, five 2×6 boards, two 1×4 cleats, screws, stain, a sealer and white paint.

How to make it: 1. Build or buy two sawhorses and paint them white. 2. Lay the 2×6 boards side by side and screw two cleats across the bottom. 3. Stain and seal the top, then rest it on the sawhorses.

Pipe and Plank Open Kitchen Shelf

Open shelves are a farmhouse kitchen favorite, and pipe brackets add a little industrial edge. Thick stained planks rest on metal floor flanges and short pipes screwed into the wall studs, so they hold plates and jars with ease. Line up white dishes, glass jars and a small plant, then tuck a strip of garland along the edge for December. The whole project is a few hours from start to finish. What would you put on your shelf first?

You will need: Two 2×10 boards, metal floor flanges, short pipe nipples and end caps, wood stain, wall anchors or long screws, a level and a drill (adult help).

How to make it: 1. Stain the planks and let them dry. 2. Screw the flanges into wall studs, using a level, and thread on the pipes. 3. Set the planks on the pipes and screw them on from below.

Chip Gaines Style Barn Quilt Block

Barn quilts are big painted squares that look like a single quilt block, and they bring Chip Gaines Style charm to a barn, a garage or a fence. Start with a square of exterior plywood, mark a simple star pattern with a pencil and painter’s tape, and fill each section with bold color. Red, green and cream make it feel festive, but it stays pretty all year. A two foot square fits a porch, while bigger ones look great on a barn. Which colors would match your house?

You will need: A square of exterior plywood, exterior primer, exterior paint in three or four colors, painter’s tape, a pencil, a ruler and screws for hanging.

How to make it: 1. Prime the board and draw a grid with a ruler. 2. Tape off one color section at a time and paint it, letting each dry. 3. Seal the edges and screw it to the wall.

Farmhouse Wood Lazy Susan

A spinning lazy susan keeps the salt, butter and honey within reach of everyone at a big holiday table. Glue a few pine boards together, cut a circle and screw it onto an inexpensive turntable bearing from the hardware store. A darker trim strip around the edge makes it look store bought. It is one of the quickest builds here and makes a lovely hostess gift. Wrap it in kraft paper with a sprig of pine on top. Who would love one at their table?

You will need: Three 1×8 pine boards, wood glue, clamps, a lazy susan bearing, short screws, stain, a food safe finish and a jigsaw (adult help).

How to make it: 1. Glue the boards edge to edge, clamp and let dry. 2. Cut a circle and sand the edge smooth. 3. Stain, seal with a food safe finish and screw on the bearing.

Wooden Rope Tree Swing

Some of the best farmhouse memories happen in the backyard, and a wooden tree swing is a timeless gift for the kids. A sanded hardwood or thick pine seat hangs from strong rope looped around a healthy branch. Round every corner so it is gentle on little legs. An adult should check the branch, the rope and the knots before anyone swings, and again each season. Wrap the seat with a big bow and hide the rope in the box for a Christmas morning surprise. Which tree in your yard would hold it?

You will need: A 2×8 hardwood or thick pine board about 24 inches long, thick outdoor rope rated for swings, a drill with a spade bit, sandpaper and outdoor sealer (adult help).

How to make it: 1. Cut the seat, round the corners and sand it smooth. 2. Drill a hole near each corner and seal the wood. 3. Thread the rope through the holes, tie strong knots and have an adult hang it on a healthy branch.

Barn Wood Christmas Card Holder

Holiday cards deserve better than a pile on the counter. This barn wood card holder turns them into a cheerful wall display that grows all December. Screw small eye hooks along the sides of a weathered plank, stretch rows of twine between them and clip each new card on with a mini clothespin. If you do not have old wood, stain a new board gray and brown to fake the age. After the holidays, swap in family photos. How many cards does your family get each year?

You will need: A wide weathered or stained board, small eye hooks, jute twine, mini wooden clothespins, a sawtooth hanger and a red ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Screw eye hooks down both side edges every four inches. 2. Tie twine rows across between matching hooks. 3. Add a hanger on the back, a bow at the top and clip on your cards.

Chip Gaines Style House Number Plaque to Finish the Porch

End your Chip Gaines Style building spree where guests arrive: a cedar house number plaque by the front door. Stain a cedar plank, add black metal numbers from the hardware store and screw it to the siding beside the door. It is a small project with a big welcome, and it helps delivery drivers find you during the busy holiday season. Pair it with a fresh wreath and two little potted spruces. For more farmhouse holiday ideas, see our Joanna Gaines Christmas Style gallery. Which of these 15 builds will you start first?

You will need: A cedar plank about 18 inches long, wood stain, outdoor sealer, black metal house numbers, exterior screws and a drill.

How to make it: 1. Stain and seal the cedar plank on all sides. 2. Space the numbers evenly with a ruler and screw them on. 3. Screw the plaque to the wall beside the door.