Something Out Of Nothing Part 3

Ok folks... let's rewind a little.  Here's a post that I was working last month on when I had some trouble with the photos.  Finally got the problem resolved, so better late than never!

So a few days ago, while hubby was napping, I got really creative!  After making all the flowers I could make, I found myself searching around the house for my next project.  Out in the backyard I found this old piece of wood that had been nicely weathered by the elements after the refurbishing of my Grandparent's farm house.  It was a great old piece of wood and I just couldn't see it going into the burn pile.  Hmmmmm... what to do??  I love making wall art and I think what I did with this one will surprise you!

Step 1:  Clean it up!  This piece of wood had originally been painted white and had a good patina to it, but it was caked with mud and dirt so a good scrubbing was in order!

Step 2:  I really like all the items I see in Pinterest with the chevron pattern, so I started by creating a "lattice" effect with painters tape.  My taping wasn't precise by any means, but I think that adds to the whimsy of the piece!

Step 3:  After I completed the "lattice" effect with tape, I simply cut away the pieces I didn't need with a pocket knife that my 17yo son had on hand.  Be really careful here.  I found myself having to re-tape several pieces that I had cut away to achieve the chevrons.  If you pay attention to what you are doing it's really easy.  As for me... I was watching to see if Maury's latest victim was in fact "The Father" which left me a little distracted.  Haha!

Step 4:  After I removed the unnecessary tape, I lightly spray painted the piece in turquoise.  I just wanted to give it a light coat of paint so that the original feel of the wood came through.

Step 5:  Next, I peeled away the tape to reveal the chevron pattern.

Step 6:  I needed something to hang the piece by, so I rummaged through the barn (thanks to my cousin, Tony, who said my sis and I could have any of that old "junk" in there) and found several items that could be useful for my project.

Step 7:  Once I decided on which clamps to use (and gave them a good bath), I affixed them to the piece.  They don't match and are different sizes, but I lined them up just right so they will allow the piece to hang level.  I just love them, don't you?

Step 6:  Now here's where I was perplexed.  What to do now that I have this loverly chevron pattern?  So I remembered something I had seen on Pinterest (alas!).  String Art!!  I found a cute clip art of a bird and I did a little Power Point magic and made it really big (it took 4 sheets of paper to print it off).  Basically I copied it 4 times (each on to its own slide) and cropped each one so that the four of them fit together and made the complete bird when put together.

Step 7:  I lplaced the four pieces of paper on the board and got them in just the right position, then started hammering nails in around the silhouette of the bird.  I used my finger to space them as equal distance apart as I could without sustaining any injuries to my fingers! 

Step 8:  I tore away the paper from the nails.

Step 9:  Using yellow string, I looped and tied a knot on the first nail, then basically went around the nails in no particular manner, until the bird was formed, then tying it off at the end.  This took a few hours, so be patient!  It's well worth the final outcome.

Voila!  One of a kind string bird on a refurbished piece of wood.  :)

Lighted Coney Island Sign

I LOVE the way this sign turned out!  I found the light set at Hobby Lobby and I knew these lights were destined for a very fun, whimsical sign!  I found the old wooden ironing  board at an antique shop and when the two melded together, it was MAGIC!

Antiques Sign Made From Vintage Ironing Board

It's a pity that I didn't take a "before" picture of this vintage wooden ironing board before I started to work on it.  My picker sister found it for me, as she knows I have a hobby of turning these old wooden ironing boards into one of a kind signs. 

This one was particularly worn (yes, that's a good thing!), and had a nice weathered look to it.  I started by giving the board a light coat of white spray paint.  Not too much paint, as I wanted the wood to show through.  Then I found a really cute font and printed off the letters on my regular old printer on regular old paper.  After I cut them out, I adhered them to the wood (cutting them in the middle since the boards weren't flush).  After they had dried, I sprayed 4 coats of clear coat on the entire board giving it a good seal.

I had decided to adorn this sign with 100 miniature lights, so I set out measuring and drilling the 100 holes.  However, once I got the holes drilled, I liked how it looked so much that I decided to leave it as is.  The final touch was to add some twine to hang it from. 

Here's an example of another ironing board sign I did last year.  This one was lighted!