Have you ever admired those cute vintage sleds seen in magazines all dressed up for the holidays? I know I have, and when one of our neighbours tossed an old sled to the curb, I knew it was time to bring this idea to fruition. Of course, I wanted to share the process with all of you. All you need is an old wooden sled that has seen better days and a few supplies. In less than three hours you can create a festive upcycled vintage-look Christmas sled. In this post, I share the materials you will need and the techniques you can use to create a vintage look. It is the perfect addition to your holiday decor, indoors or on your porch.
*This post contains affiliate links.
Finding A Sled
The first step is to find an old wooden sled. Maybe you already own one! If not, definitely keep an eye out on garbage day for any neighbours who might be tossing theirs. You can also check local buy and sell listings and free/buy nothing sites. Finally, be sure to check out thrift store or vintage shops. If you’re really lucky you may find one that doesn’t need refinishing. Don’t worry if the sled isn’t in working condition or if there is some damage. You are going to paint the sled and cover up any repairs or imperfections. Small imperfections can add character and charm to the piece.
My Sled
The sled I found was constructed of solid wood. It has some staining and had been repaired at some point, so that the finished piece was made of three different kinds of wood. Some of the wood was a cheap veneer type of wood that I knew I wouldn’t be able to stain. For all these reasons, I decided that I would paint this piece. Since I didn’t want it to have a “new” appearance, I knew I would paint and then apply a stain. This would give the piece an aged look somewhat reminiscent of bleached wood. I also decided to incorporate some red and thought that the sled runners would be a good place for this.
Materials For The Upcycled Vintage-Look Christmas Sled
- Wooden Sled, any shape or size
- Cotton dishtowel for cleaning
- TSP or dish soap
- 220 grit sandpaper
- Fusion Mineral Paint- Chateau (500 mL) for the main part of the sled
- Fusion Mineral Paint- Fort York Red (sample size) and Chocolate (sample size) for the sled runners
- Homestead House Stain and Finishing Oil- Cappucino or Driftwood or a mix of both (I used a 50/50 mix)
- Brushes for applying paint
- Foam brush for applying stain
- Lint-free cotton cloths for wiping stain
- Floral wire and wire cutters
- Small faux evergreen branches or garland
- Two red berry sprays
- Red ribbon or bow of your choice
- A large bell
Instructions For The Upcycled Vintage-Look Christmas Sled
Thoroughly wash the sled using a wet dishtowel and TSP solution or dishsoap. Continue cleaning the sled until the dishcloth comes off clean. Allow to dry. For more information on how to prepare pieces for painting and how to use Fusion Mineral paint, check out this post. It is truly my favourite furniture paint and I like to purchase my paint from Homeworks Etc.
Lightly sand the piece with 220 grit sandpaper to scuff the surface. This will help the paint to better adhere. If there is flaking paint it must be thoroughly removed before painting. Wipe clean with a damp cloth and allow to dry completely.
Identify which parts of the sled you want to give a bleached wood look and which parts you want to be a rich, vintage red. The red is best used on the sled runners or small trim pieces.
Paint the main part of the sled in Fusion Chateau. One coat will be enough.
Mix the red paint- To the sample size jar of Fort York Red, add about 1/4 of the Chocolate sample jar. Add more if you desire a deeper red. Or, if you prefer a cheery, vibrant red, use Fort York Red as is.
Paint the runners and/or trim pieces in the custom red you created. Allow to dry and apply a second coat.
Using a foam brush, apply the stain to the parts of the sled painted in Chateau. Immediately wipe the excess stain off using a clean-lint free cotton cloth. Remove as much or as little as you like. I removed as much as I could as I didn’t want the finish to be too dark.
Allow the stain to dry for at least a day or two before handling. When it is no longer tacky, you can add the greenery and bow.
Adding The Greenery And Bow
If you purchased a faux greenery garland, you can cut it into pieces and attach them in the middle using floral wire. Then attach this to the top of the sled with more floral wire. Add the berry stems into the greenery and attach with floral wire. Purchase a bow or create one using the ribbon of your choice. Using wire, attach a bell to the bottom of the bow and attach the bow and bell to the top of the greenery. This is the perfect finishing touch to your upcycled vintage-look Christmas sled!
Styling The Sled
I’m planning to put this festive sleigh out on the front porch. I only finished it today and since it’s a cold, rainy day out there I thought I’d take photos of it styled indoors. I’ll definitely update this post once I get some front porch photos.
For now, I thought I would create a little outdoor-inspired vignette inside our home. I used a couple of small faux trees, birch logs, a faux fur rug, and a ticking stripe pillow. You could also use anything that inspires thoughts of a snowy wonderland. Some ideas include a lantern or large sturdy candles, blankets, bells, baskets of firewood or branches, and jumbo pinecones. You could also string lights around the sleigh to create a cozy glow.
Summary
I hope you have enjoyed reading about my upcycled vintage-look Christmas sled. What do you think about how this project turned out? Happy holiday season everyone! Be sure to join me next week for my holiday home tour.
Susan says
Wow it turned out sooooo great! love it
Fran says
Wow Shawna that is beautiful, love how your vintage sled turned ., great job & I love your decorating ideas !!!
Shawna Liao says
Thank you Fran! I really had fun doing this one.
Fran says
Wow Shawna that is beautiful, love how your vintage sled turned out ., great job & ps love your decorating ideas !!!
Shawna Liao says
Thank you Sue! It was a really fun project.
Jen says
It looks so pretty, Shawna. You did a great job giving it new life!
Shawna Liao says
Thank you Jen! I’m glad you like it.