A Crafty Welcome

A Crafty Welcome!

Nothing says welcome to my home more than a sign saying it! Here’s a D. I. Y. welcome sign that I started after attending so many craft shows and upcycle fairs, and saying to myself, “Gosh, I really could make this!”  I have a severe case of procrastination at times, but on this occasion, I stuck to my guns and said I’d do this project.

My original intent was to just white-wash some kind of found board and then stencil the word welcome on it and stick it out on my porch. But this project felt so flat and it seems that everyone had this sign. As I thought about the project my new desire for mixed media arts reared its head.
I wanted a three-dimensional image. So I started to look around for things that would form the letters. I went to Home Depot with my husband one day. On an end-cap to one of the aisles was an open flooring carton. It contained grey wash slat boards for flooring and some were already missing. I took just one (I should’ve taken more) up to the cashier, I wanted to look around for hardware pieces but husband got the item he came into the store for so homeward bound we were. I was charged $3.49 for the board; I was happy.

Needless to say, the board sat around my house and was moved from room to room! Procrastination, there it is again!
Turned out nice!

Finding Do-dads

I happen to have been shopping at the holy grail of all crafting, Hobby Lobby, but I was there for a flower arrangement I was putting together, If you have ever been there (and I know you have)you know one cannot just go straight to the items you came in for…  LOL. I found all the things I needed for my upcycled three-dimensional welcome sign.  I was hoping to find a key or railroad spike to put on it, but you know I’ll be doing other word projects like this!

How to make it

I “dry-brushed” some Annie Sloan chalk paint in the color of Old Ochre and I did a super shotty job so that it would look super old. Then, I took a fine grit sandpaper to it, I sanded all over the piece, the edges, and into the body. I then painted with simple acrylic paints in red the big “W”, and then I took a fine tip sharpie in black and added dots to the block “o” because I wanted to add some interest.
The chalk paint that I used
I lined them up on my table, and still I thought it would look boring, I thought about adding a silk flower or two, but remembered on a long ago previous trip to Hobby Lobby, I picked up some embellishments and never could remember what I was going to use them for, and I knew they’d work here!

How to affix the Do-dads

I have a very noxious epoxy that I have used before. But there is no way I can do this in the house and it is way too cold outside to use the product anyway. So enter my “go-to” glue, E6000, this works and adheres to wood, glass, jewelry, mug handles, you name it, the stuff works! It is wonder glue. I was worried, however, because a few things did have some weight like the iron house number, the little dragonfly and the metal flower with leaves, I used ample glue on these. For the flower, I put a heavy cookbook on top of it and waited to move it until the next day. And like magic, they were affixed!

How to hang

it was easier to make than it looks
Another slight dilemma, how can I hang this? I have a few sawtooth hangers around but I thought it might not have been strong enough. So I took some very tiny hanger nails (from the sawtooth package) and hammered them in. Then I took floral wire and wrapped the nails. After that, I put a spot of E 6000 on the nail and wire and then in about 1 hour it was ready to hang!

*My project is not sealed and I would not put this directly in the weather, however, I do think it would be fine on a covered porch.
Finished sign hanging
sign leaning 



Now that I’ve made one of these signs, I am obsessed with making more. I hope you liked today’s post and I hope that it inspired you to make your own! 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dimethicone: Chemical Gets A Bad Rap

Image
What is dimethicone? Why does it get such a bad rap?  It is primarily because it is a commonly used product and an additive, and secondarily it is a man-made silicone polymer and it’s always listed alongside things like phthalates and triclosan. It is a chemical. Dimethicone is in a lot of cosmetics and in products given to you by a certified dermatologist and even in items for babies. Chemistry Photo credit: Pinterest Dimethicone is normally only used topically and found in the cream type form. Dimethicone works because it forms a barrier for and against moisture by doing one of two things, trapping it on the skin or trapping it away from the skin. It fills pores and smooths the look of the skin may fill in wrinkles and fine lines on the face, and it also provides an emollient that will sooth skin to fight the effects of sunburn and diaper rash. Photo Credit: Craftology Dimethicone is effective. It is prominent in moisturizers and in primers, it is an i...
Read more

Deadliest Record-Breaking Cold Weather Is Dangerous

Image
Photo Credit: Medicentres.com Today's post is in response to the dangerous cold and record-breaking weather that is upon approximately 110 million people! I am currently one of those people in the path of this polar vortex weather, and I am not happy. Midwesterners are tough, rugged and live through a lot of weather extremes, however, what is predicted to come for the next two days is just dangerous. A little less than half of the North American continent has an extreme weather forecast right now and in the next week or so. My area tomorrow is predicted to be in the -50 (negative temps) to possible -60's !. The sub-zero temps are here already, but tonight and tomorrow will be excruciating! A meteorologist at the Weather Prediction Center is passing along information right now telling the American public the exposed skin in that kind of extreme will take only a matter of seconds to frostbite and cause hypothermia. According to the Mayo Clinic   (s...
Read more

Magnolias In My Kitchen Very Simple Flower Centerpiece

Image
It's a very cold January day and not one glimpse of the sun is to be had. The ground is covered in snow and now there's even freezing drizzle/rain to add into making this a long winter's day. There's only one thing you can do is to bring warmth in, by way of flowers. I have these two magnolia stems sitting right near me, One has three blooms on it and one has two. They feel bright and remind me of summer. Those warm days where the car windows are down and the Grateful Dead are playing Sugar Magnolia on the radio. And the only thing you can do is wave your arms out to feel the breeze while you're singing the song! A lovely flower centerpiece will liven, brighten and warm my room. So I gathered a  few things: the two magnolia stems Some dried green moss, that I use often, it truly makes me think of spring and summer with its very vibrant green and even brown sticks!  2 very large bell-shaped dimpled glass containers, graduated in size the large ...
Read more