These wooden wall hooks are not only cute décor for your child’s room or nursery, but they are also super functional and completely unique. Do you ever wish you had a place in your child’s room to hang a towel or display a cute outfit you’ve been planning? These little food themed wall hooks are perfect for that. DIY your own custom set today with this free tutorial!
Don’t worry if they aren’t quite your style, or don’t fit your décor. They could easily be slightly altered to fit any theme. Just keep the hook design and alter the face design.
This detailed tutorial not only shows step by step how to make these, but also provides a free template and inspiration for you to try your own designs.
They might look complicated to make but I actually made them over the course of 1.5 days (with many interruptions)
Let’s Jump Into the Project!
Materials/Supplies
- 3/4” thick pine board at least 3.5” wide – you’ll need about 3’ if you use a 1×4, but less if you use a 1×6 or 1×10. I used a 1×10 about 10” long and a 1×6 about 6” long
- Wood Glue – I use Titebond II
- 12-3/4” wood screws
- 6 – Drywall mounts and screws – for hanging the hooks (depends on how many hooks you make)
- Sand Paper – I used a sanding block, 40, 100 & 220 grit sandpaper sheets as well as the disk on my disk sander
- Painter’s tape (optional)
- Shop Rag (or something to wipe off excess glue)
- Vinyl – if using a cutting machine to cut template. I used Oracal Oramask Stencil Vinyl
- Cardstock – if printing and cutting out the template (paper would probably work in a pinch)
- Tack cloth
- Paints – I used matte acrylic paint in a variety of colours and brands
- Paint Pens – You don’t have to have these, but it helps with the detail work. I use these Artistro ones
- Finish/Sealer – I used spray shellac
Tools
- Safety Equipment – hearing protection, eye protection, respiratory protection
- Cutting machine or printer
- Cutting mat or scissors
- Weeding tool (optional)
- Pencil
- Scroll saw or band saw or jig saw – depending on the saw you use your food designs should have more or less detail. A scroll saw can provide the most amount of detail, where the jigsaw would provide the least
- Table saw
- Push blocks for the table saw that are appropriate for narrow stock
- Miter saw (you could also just use the table saw)
- Clamps
- Sander – I used a disk and belt sander combo and my oscillating sander, but you could also use a random orbit sander, or just a sanding block
- Drill
- Drill bit and driver bit to fit your screws
- Countersink bit
- Router and 1/4″ roundover bit (optional)
- Paint tray
- Paint brushes
Let’s Get Building!
Step 1 Plan your designs
Draw out some design ideas or use my free template. Below is my free template in SVG format for use with cutting machines and in PDF format to print then cut out.
Step 2 Cut out the template
Do this using your cutting machine software, or print them with your printer onto cardstock and cut them out with scissors.
If you’re using a cutting machine, I recommend putting a rectangular background behind each design and resizing them so they look like a set. I resized mine to between 3″ and 3.5″ wide and let the height adjust automatically.
I cut them out onto stencil vinyl. I like using adhesive vinyl of some type for a project like this because it allows you to stick the design on and then after you cut it out you can use it as a stencil for painting too, so it serves two purposes.
Step 3 Put the designs on the wood
If using stencil vinyl: sand the face of the board the stencil will stick to, because you’ll use the stencil for painting. Weed out the background only and use transfer tape if necessary to apply the design to the wood. Don’t weed out any of the other facial features. Keep those in place for painting later.
If you printed and cut out the design onto cardstock, use a pencil to trace the design onto the wood.
Step 4 Cut out the food shapes
Using a scroll saw, band saw, or jig saw, cut out the food shapes.
I recommend simplifying some of the designs if you’re using a jig saw. For example, simplify the pineapple to have less leaves. This will make it easier to cut out and you could always just paint on the details after, as long as the shape is similar it will still be really cute!
Step 5 Begin making the hooks
You will need the leftover 3/4″ thick wood for this. I used a 1×6 that was about 6″ long.
Using the table saw, rip 8 pieces that are at least 6″ long, 3/8″ wide and 3/4″ thick.
Then rip 2 pieces that are 6″ long, 3/4″ wide and 3/4″ thick.
Step 6 Cut the pieces to length
Using the miter saw (or the table saw with a crosscut sled) cut the 3/8″ pieces into 6 – 3 3/4″ lengths (back of the hook) and 6 – 1 1/2″ lengths (front of the hook).
I made a jig for this to make sure my pieces were the same length. Each 6” long 3/8” thick piece allowed for one 3 3/4” piece and one 1 1/2” piece. I cut the 1 1/2” pieces off of each piece first. Then I cut them down to 3 3/4”.
I measured and cut the first 1 1/2” piece.
Then I locked the blade down and used the piece that remained after the 1 1/2” piece was cut. I pushed that piece against the blade and then put a scrap piece to the left of it. I clamped the scrap in place to the fence and then lifted the blade.
I cut all the pieces using this method to keep the pieces the same.
Then cut the 3/4″ thick pieces into 6 – 1 1/2″ pieces (middle of the hook).
Step 7 Sanding
Draw rounded edges on the tops of the hook fronts. To do this I traced a bottle lid.
Round over the top edges of the front pieces using your sander. I used a disk sander for this.
Then sand the faces of all your hook pieces.
Sand the sides and back of the food shapes. If you don’t have a vinyl stencil stuck on you can also sand the front. I used my belt sander for the faces and my disk sander and oscillating to carefully round over any bumps on the round parts of the food. You can also experiment with different sanders or just sand the pieces by hand.
Step 8 Assemble the hooks
Glue the middle pieces to the back and then glue on the front pieces. I did this all at once, then clamped them all. Make sure you wipe off all the excess glue.
After the glue dried for a couple of hours I screwed the back to the middle for some extra stability. I used 3/4″ long wood screws.
Use a drill bit around the size of the screw not including the threads. It’s better to err on the side of smaller. Then put a piece of tape around the bit to mark how deep to drill (this is what I used the painter’s tape for). You don’t need to drill too deep, just the depth of the screw.
Drill the holes and then using a countersink bit, countersink them so the screw won’t rub on the wall.
Drive in your screws, but be careful, the wood you’re using is on the thinner side and you don’t want to break it.
Step 9 Sand the assembled hooks
I sanded the sides of the hooks flush using my belt sander.
Step 10 Round over two of the edges (optional)
If desired and you have a router, use a 1/4″ roundover bit to round over the bottom sides (left and right) of the hooks. This just adds a bit to the design, but isn’t necessary. You could also just break the edges with sandpaper/a sander.
Note: I recommend putting the front of the hook through the router first to avoid any tear out. That happened to me below. I don’t love that look and if I were painting the hooks I’d use wood fill, but I’m not so I left it.
Step 11 Predrill the holes for to attaching the hooks to the wall
Make sure you drill them above the hook face so that the drill will actually fit. I did mine 1 3/4″ from the top of the hook.
Drill the hole using a drill bit to match whatever screw you’re using to mount these to the wall. Then countersink your holes.
Step 12 Remove all the dust
You could use a tack cloth for this if desired, a brush or a shop vac.
Step 13 Decorating
Now the fun part: decorating!
For this part you’ll need craft paints, paintbrushes, a pencil, and paint pens.
If you do painted crafts like this often, I highly recommend getting a set of paint pens. I’ve had mine for about a year now and I use them all the time.
Vinyl Designs
- Peel off the largest section of the vinyl, leaving the eyes, mouths and cheeks in place.
- It’s ok if the paint bleeds a bit, it doesn’t have to be perfect, it’s just a guide.
- Using craft paint and a small paintbrush, fill in the main colour. You may need more than one coat.
- Remove the next section of vinyl and paint that section.
- Remove the eyes, mouth and cheeks. Fill in those sections using a paint pen or small paintbrush.
Traced Designs
- Use a pencil to draw in the main sections of the designs. For example: for the donut, draw in the donut hole and the icing, for the avocado, draw the stone.
- If you want you can get creative and trace things for the circles. A bottle cap would work nicely.
- Using craft paint and a small paintbrush, Paint the main colour. You may need to do multiple coats.
- Next paint the other sections.
- After the paint dries, draw on the facial features.
- Fill in the facial features and the other details with a small paintbrush or a paint pen.
- I added sprinkles on the ice cream and the donut, and some shading on the peach
Step 14 Attach the food designs to the hooks
First mark how low on the hooks each design will go. This will streamline them a bit more, even though they are different sizes. I marked 1 3/8″ from the top of the hook.
Apply glue to the hook above your line.
Put the food design on the hook above your line and let it dry for a bit
Then using the same method that you used in step 8, secure the designs to the hook with a 3/4″ wood screw.
Step 15 Seal your designs
I used 3 coats of spray shellac, making sure to get all sides of the hooks.
Step 16 Hang up your hooks!
I put 3 in each of my girls rooms and they fit the décor perfectly (especially in my baby’s rainbow themed nursery). My 2 year old was so excited for me to hang hers. She even picked which ones she wanted in her room.
These hooks are so cute for a kids room, but you could also change up the design to make them fit the décor in any room of your home, just keep the main hook design and alter the design for the face of the hook. The possibilities are endless.
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Thanks for the support! Check out my wooden stacking name blocks if you’re interested in making something else for the little one in your life!
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The Walnut Grove 