Fabulous Office Sign

I recently switched jobs and my new office mate gave me carte blanche to add any design elements that I wanted to our mutual space. I wanted to add some color to our office and since I love hot pink, this was the natural choice... she keeps reassuring me that she likes the results even though I suspect that this much pink might have been a stretch for her.

I also wanted to choose a verse for the sign to give me a great perspective and reminder during the day while working, so Revelation 19:16 made the top of my list very quickly! [ Read blog post about this verse ] I love how it turned out and I'm anxious to make another sign like this very soon... just have to find a place to put it!

What You'll Need:

• Wood blocks
• Acrylic paint (a variety of colors as well as white for the lettering)
• Paint Markers (optional, however it makes doing the lettering a lot easier)
• Stencils - A variety of fonts will make the finished project interesting
• Glitter (optional)
• Alligator wall hangers
• Tissue paper

How To Do It:

• Choose various wood blocks of different shapes and sizes. My husband let me go through his scrap box and choose whatever I wanted... He rocks!
• Choose a verse or saying; remembering that less is probably more.
• Layout the blocks to find a pleasing layout.
• Divide up the words on scrap paper according to how you want them to be displayed on the wood. Lay them on top of the wood and rearrange until you find a combination that works. This took me a little while to get it right.
• Take a picture so you remember how it is laid out for the finish.
• Paint the wood blocks a combination of colors or shades. Be creative, really nothing is wrong! If you need color combination ideas, go to a paint supply store and look at their color swatch suggestions for color groupings.
• Using a vareity of stencils, handwriting or even freehand the words onto the blocks.
• Paint them using white paint. I personally use a paint marker for this because it is easier to get a finish with especially for lettering.
• Fill the lettering in with glitter. This of course is optional, it looks nice without it, I just really like using glitter in my finished projects!
• Layout the wood blocks on top of tissue paper and trace edges to help you hang on the wall as designed.
• Hammer in the alligator wall hangers onto the back of the wood.
• That's it! you are done! To easily hang, just tape the tissue paper to your wall and hang each block according to the pattern.

Below are pictures of the entire process!

The BEST Christmas Sign EVER!

Matthew 1:21 is the verse I gravitate toward at Christmas time. So when I saw this project on Growing Up Gardner via Pinterest, I knew I wanted to make something similar with this verse. The project is simple and easy, but a little time consuming so start early!

What Your Need:

• 4" Pine Boards Cut To Fit Space. I got my at Lowes and my hubby cut them for me!
• Acrylic Paint & Water. I used Chocolate brown for the color wash, however any color will do and of course white for the lettering.
• Glitter Glue. Optional, I used this on my snowflakes to JAZZ it up!
• Stencils. A variety of lettering makes it FESTIVE!
• Screws & Wire Picture Hanging Supplies. I got mine at Hobby Lobby, LOVE that store!
• Ribbon or a Bow for the Top. I just recycled a old Christmas tree bow that I was not using.

How To Do It: 

Step 1: Stencil your verse or saying onto the boards. 

BE CREATIVE! Use a mixture of fonts and some other design elements... I used snowflakes!

Step 2: Mix paint & water until you get the desired consistency. Brush color wash onto boards.

Tip: I ended up color washing the boards twice to get the desired color.

Step 3: Outline & paint your lettering. 

I outlined my with a pencil and it lightly shows through the color wash making it easy to trace and paint. I used a white paint marker that I got at Hobby Lobby, again, I LOVE that store!

This tended to be the step that took the most time because again I used two coats. 

Step 4: Trace Design Elements with Glitter!

In my case snowflakes to add FLARE and SPARKLE. I used white, silver and gold to match the rest of my decorations.

Step 5: Assemble. 

I braced the back with wood boards and screws because I knew this would be a heavy piece.

Step 6: Hang and ENJOY!

I am so pleased with how this beautiful sign turned out. I know I will enjoy it for YEARS to come.

What do you think of the finished project?

Turning a Blank Canvas Into A Work of Art

I used to paint, so I thought I would reuse some old canvas and give them a face life with some fun family pictures. The idea for this project grew out this project mainly because I just wanted to try it to see if I liked this better... Jury's stil out.

What Your Need:

• Canvas. Can be bought at any craft store. Mine was a 7 x 9 stretched canvas that I had laying around.
• Modge Podge. What household would be complete without this!
• Large Photo Print. This time I had an 8 x 10 laying around that I wasn't displaying so I used this. 

How To Do It: 

Step 1: Modge Podge the canvas and the back of the picture. 

 

I just had an old canvas that I had painted on, so I just applied the glue over it.

Step 2: Align photo on canvas and let dry. 

The back of the Modge Podge says 15-20 minutes, that seemed to be enough time.

Step 3: Score overlapping edges with exact-o knife. 

 Be very careful not to cut through, the point of this is to make it easier to fold the sides of the photo around the canvas.

Step 4: Glue and clamp sides.

 

Let dry a couple of hours to set well and repeat on opposite sites.

 

Step 5: Remove clamps and Viola! You Are Done And It is Amazing and Ready to Hang!

What you do think of the finished project?

Cheap & Easy Photo Project... Looks Like Canvas!

I love photography and if you are like me, then you also love creative ways to display your photos. I originally found this idea on Mommy Models Blog via Pinterest, so I thought I would give it a try. Here is how it works.

What you need:

• Wood backing. Use whatever you find, however I used a 1/2 inch 2x2 Birch board for $7.44 from Lowes. My husband cut it to size, I got 1-16" x 20" board, 1- 8" x 20" board and 1- 4" x 24" out of this. Great for a couple prints!
• Modge Podge
• Paint. I used white but be festive use whatever color you want!
• Sanding paper
• Large photo print. I ordered 1- 16" x 20" poster and 1 - 8" x 20" poster from Wal-Mart.com. I think I paid around $20.00 for both and got them the same day with in-store pickup. Sweet!

How To Do It:

Step 1: Cut Board to Size. 

My Husband helped me with this. We actually cut the boards 1/4 inch shorter than the prints so thinking we would trim image afterward to exact dimension, in hindsight I wish we would have cut the boards to poster sizes as the tablesaw we used to cut the wood was very accurate and you get cleaner lines without having to exact-o the photo. Just Saying!

Step 2: Sand away rough edges.

Step 3: Paint the sides and back.

I used white paint and applied 2 coats. Also, in this step I prepped other the boards that we had cut from the birch boards we bought.

Step 4: Modge Podge the wood and the picture

Apply Modge Podge generously to both the wood surface and back of the picture.

Step 5: Apply Gentle Pressure Over Photo to 86 the Air Bubbles

As you can see, my husband could not help himself with this step, due to his OCD. So I thought "Why Not...! I'll let him help!" Hope he doesn't take credit!

Step 6: Let Dry and Viola! You Are Done And It is Amazing and Ready to Hang!

What you do think of the finished project?

*Note: I did exact-o knife the edges as we cut the boards a little smaller than the wood backing, however I would recommend cutting board to size and skipping this step of trimming.