DIY: Silver Doe Harry Potter Plaque

My first project using my new Dremel (my aunt gave it to me for Christmas) was partially inspired by Jen Yates's Harry Potter Wand Display, in that it's 1) made of wood, 2) Harry Potter-themed, and 3) a functional plaque. Of course, it's not nearly as well-made, detailed, and awesome, but I don't think it's bad for my first Dremel craft.

I began by buying a plaque from Hobby Lobby, a nice chocolatey-brown stain from Home Depot, and some silver paint from Jo-Ann Fabric. The first step was to sketch out the design on the plaque. I used a font reference and a deer silhouette reference as I sketched, but I did the design free-hand.  And--this is important--I did it lightly. I found that this type of wood wanted to cling to my pencil lines, so those few darker lines didn't come out once I finished carving. Luckily, though, the stain covered it well.

From here, I started to carve into the wood. I used the 1/4in High-Speed Cutter tool, followed by the 1/32in Engraving Cutter. I found that I was having issues using the cutter, even though it was designed for wood. It kept bouncing against the grain, leaving uneven lines. Luckily, they're not too obvious. Still, it meant that I didn't give this project as a gift, like I initially intended. 

Once I finished carving, I stained the wood. This is only one coat of the stain, and it covers very well. I really like the color, as well. The smudge on the bottom is where I tried to sand some of the rough edges from the carving. It did not go well--reason number two as to why I didn't give it as a gift. 

Then I used a small paintbrush to outline the Patronus doe and the words. The paintbrush was the perfect size for the engraving, although it did smudge a little in some areas. 

Next I used some silver screw hooks to attach a hanging chain to the top of the plaque. I used needle-nose pliers to bend the hooks into circles, and some jump rings to attach the chain to the hooks. I also screwed two of the hooks into the bottom of the plaque, though I wasn't entirely sure what I would hang there. I initially went with some comic con lanyard IDs, but it hangs too close to my whiteboard.

Here's a picture of the plaque in action. I hung it near my desk (you can see part if it in the bottom right-hand corner).

And here's a close-up. Overall, I'm happy with the way it looks. I'm looking forward to making the results of my next Dremel carving adventure a greater success, though. 

Does anyone have any ideas as to what I should hang on here? I've been considering switching out the bottom screw hooks for larger ones, so that I can hang my gaming headset on it. 

See you next week! I have an Etsy Tuesday and a Gamer Drama planned!

Edit: Hello! I have since updated the plaque! Here's a link to the new blog, with the pictures! And here's a picture! I put larger hooks on the bottom, brightened the silver paint (I used a whiter silver), and shortened the chain.