Some Make it Beautiful: DIY

SOME PEOPLE LOOK FOR A BEAUTIFUL PLACE

OTHERS MAKE A PLACE BEAUTIFUL

Isn’t that so true?

Now, granted, some of us do a better job making our places beautiful than others.  Beauty is in the eye (and pocketbook) of the beholder.  I do not do nearly as good a job as most people, but I am working on it, one mediocre project at a time.  And that’s ok.  I am good with it.

Pinterest is a pretty fabulous place.  Not only can we look at the best of the beautiful and be inspired, but we can take that inspiration and add a little beautiful to our own corner of the world.

I ran across THIS PROJECT on Pinterest and new I had to make it.

My sign is on a slightly different scale than the original.  The original used 1x12x8 boards and I used 1x10x6 boards.  That was purely an economic choice.  Wood is expensive in New York.  I don’t know how it’s priced where you live, but I wasn’t really willing to pay more than $10 a board.

I already had the paint.  I used cheap acrylic paint that I keep on hand for my children and I mixed my own colors.  There are a lot better paints to be had, but I tried to complete this project by buying as little as possible.

If you want all the details on how to make this sign, go to the original artist.  He recounts the process in great detail.  I am only giving a summary.

First I aged the wood boards by beating them to death.  Think chains, a screwdriver, and a hammer.  Then I rubbed them down with steel wool and apple cider vinegar.

It made the house smell so bad, I had to put a fan in the window and FringeMan moved the wood outside to dry overnight.

Then we screwed the boards together by attaching metal plates to the back of the boards.

Then I began painting.

I taped off what I wanted to be the outline of the sun and rays with painter’s tape.  I used a large plate/platter to make the outline of the sun and a ruler to make the rays.

This is the sunrise without the red outline.  None of it very precise.  I painted on color with a cheap foam brush.

After you have the entire board painted, let it dry.  Then sand it with fine sandpaper and brush on watered down white paint.  As soon as you brush on the paint, wipe it off with a paper towel or an old rag.  This will give it a sun-aged look.

After that is dry (it won’t take long), water down brown paint and repeat the process.  I used the paint.  The original instructions used paint, but I think a brown stain would work better.  I haven’t tried it, so I can’t say for sure, but I have used stain on other projects and I think it is better for giving wood an aged look.

Then it is time for the lettering, the hardest part.

I printed my letter out on paper and then traced them by pressing a ball point pen over the outline.  If you press hard enough, a slight indent will be left on the wood and you can take a pencil and trace over the indent.

Then you paint it with white paint.  I used two coats of white paint and lightly sanded in-between.

If you wanted this sign to hang outside, you would use different paint.  Acrylic is water-based, so it will wash away.

I wanted to clear coat mine, but I bought a very expensive clear coat and it nearly ruined my sign.  I hated it, so I don’t have a solid clear coat yet.  I don’t really need one, because my sign hangs inside, but I wanted to preserve it somehow.

It was my kid’s idea to hang it in the living room.  I had a giant blank wall, so it worked well.  We hung it with picture hooks and metal wire rated for 100 pounds.  The sign isn’t that heavy, but it’s better to be on the safe side, especially with kids in the house.

I’m really happy with the finished product.  I had my doubts along the way, but it came out nice.  I just wish I could have used a bigger font for the world “beautiful”, but since my boards were shorter and narrower, this was the best I could do.

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Now I get to tell you about something exciting.

I am hosting a Pinterest Party on November 1st.

You have one month to find a project, recipe, outfit, home decor style, whatever!  Then I want you to recreate it, take pictures, and post it to your blog.

What good is looking at pretty pictures if they don’t inspire us to do something?

Now is your chance to do something.

If you like to cook, find a recipe.  If you’re into fashion, find an outfit for inspiration.  If you’re a DIY junkie, do something.  If you like to change things up in your home, find a home that motivates you to do something different.  It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you do it, take pictures, and post the results to your blog.

I’ll have a linky set up first thing on November 1st and we’ll have ourselves a party.

So help me spread the word.  Grab that Pinterest Parry sign I made and post it all over blogland, facebook, and twitter.  Post it on your street corner if you want, just help me invite people to the party.

Cause, you know you want to come.

Are you in?

P.S.  Linking today’s post to Creative Juice Thursday at Momnivor’s Dilemma.  Go visit for other creative projects.