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Oak-Veneer Orbs

Brought to you by Lowe's Creative Ideas

Fashion an ornamental orb from wood veneer and customize it to suit your room decor. Then hang it alone or make groups for a dramatic addition to any space.

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Oak-veneer orbs hanging over a bed

Project Overview

Skill Level

Beginner

Estimated Time

A few hours

Estimated Cost

$$$$$

Tools and Materials

Tools

  • Miter box and saw
  • Drill and bit set
  • Scissors or utility knife
  • 180-grit sandpaper
  • Painter's tape

Materials

  • 2 - 3/4-in x 25-ft red oak iron-on edging, #16545
  • 7/16-in x 48-in dowel, #19381
  • #12 x 1-13/16-in screw eyes
  • #6 x 1-in panhead sheet-metal screws
  • Dazzle twine, #349239

Valspar Signature paint:

  • Mountain Botanical, #6010-9
  • Lovely Green, #6009-9
  • Can’t Miss Lime, #6011-10

Items may be Special Order in some stores. Product costs, availability, and item numbers may vary online or by market. Paint colors may vary slightly from those shown. Availability varies by market for lumber species and sizes.

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Instructions

Step 1

Cut dowels for each orb. (We cut two 9-in-long dowels and one 12-in-long dowel to make the trio shown here.)

Step 2

Using scissors or a utility knife, cut four veneer strips for each dowel. For the slightly oblong orbs shown, cut each strip four times the length of the dowel.
Good to Know

If you prefer a more rounded shape, cut strips the dowel length times 3.14, and add 1-1/2-in for an overlap area. The 9-in dowel, for example, would call for strips 29-3/4-in long and the 12-in dowel would use 39-3/16-in strips. For a 6-in dowel, cut strips 20-3/8-in; for 8-in dowels, cut 26-5/8-in strips; for 10-in dowels, cut 33-in strips; for 14-in dowels, cut 45-1/2-in strips; and for 16-in dowels, cut 51-3/4-in strips.

Step 3

Tape the strips to a flat, protected work surface with the adhesive side up. Brush two coats of the paint of your choice on the adhesive face, let dry, and remove the tape. Take care to avoid getting paint on the veneer face or cover it with painter's tape before you begin.

Step 4

Stack the veneer strips with the ends flush, tape them together, and measure to mark the top strip for three holes: two centered 3/4-in from the ends and another centered on the length of the strip for the top of the dowel. Drill 1/8-in holes through all the strips at the three marks.

Step 5

Evenly space the strips.
Drill 1/16-in holes 1-in deep centered on both ends of each dowel. With the painted faces of the strips facing down, place a screw eye through the middle hole in each strip and screw the eye halfway into the top of the dowel. Fan out the strips evenly and finish turning the screw eye into the dowel to hold them in place.

Step 6

Beginning with the top strip on the top of the dowel, bring the holes on the ends together at the bottom end of the dowel. Repeat for the other three strips and use a panhead screw to fasten them in place at the end of the dowel. If necessary, pin the strips to the dowel temporarily with a small brad while you work.
Good to Know

Tighten both the screw eye and panhead screw just enough to hold the strips against the dowel -- any tighter and you could split the wood.

Step 7

Attach a screw eye to the ceiling where you'll hang the orbs -- using a drywall anchor, if necessary -- and cut the twine to suit how low you want to hang the orb. Tie the twine to the screw eye on the orb and then to the one in the ceiling.