I started by making a trip to my nearest Lowe's. I'd love to say it was a quick trip, but that would be a fib. I just get sidetracked when I see something and wonder what I can do with that and where would it go in my house?!?! I purchased the cheapest board I could get find that would fit my project. In this case, it was a 1"x8"x6' whiteboard. They will cut your board for you for free, so I had them go ahead and cut it into six-12" sections. I only used two for this project, so I have four spares to use for other projects! Beware, the saw they use is loud. As you can see, Poo and Tater don't care much for the sound it makes.
You could make as many of these as you want. I think they would be cute as housewarming gifts. The first step when you get home is to sand all the edges of your boards. The cuts they make at the store will leave splinters that you do not want in your fingers. I sanded the sides, fronts and backs just to be sure it was all smooth surfaces.
Next, grab your handy dandy spray paint and some utensils! I used my simple black spray paint which cost $0.96 at Walmart and I had the spare utensils in my pantry just waiting for a project like this. You can also buy utensils at Dollar Tree but they won't be very decorative. Another idea is to hit a resale shop like Goodwill and see what you can score! I have a piece of cardboard I use for spray painting all my little items. The best way to paint your utensils is to spray the backs first so if any paint chips off, it won't be noticeable. Once the backs are dry, just flip them over and paint the front. Be sure when using spray paint to stay 6-8" away from your item to avoid "rippling." Leave them to dry and maybe add a second coat to be safe. Don't forget to spray the sides also.
While your utensils are drying, give your boards a few coats of your favorite color. I had this Valspar sample in Satin Gray that I got for free with a coupon from Lowe's. You can buy them for only $2.98 though and they are very handy for small projects and for testing to see if you really want that color.
Once the paint is dry, if you plan to hang them on a wall, it's best to attach your hanger to the back now. If you wait until the utensils are applied, it will be hard to center and nail it in. Just make sure your nail is no thicker than the board or your have a sharp point coming through the front. Skip this step if you plan on standing these against a wall or on a plate stand.
Next step is to lay out your utensils and decide how you want them to look on your board. Once you like your layout, simply glue it all to the board. I used E6000 industrial glue. This stuff is amazing! It works on everything!
End results are fun and funky pieces of utensil art to liven up a kitchen or dining area. Disclaimer: Don't use them to eat. They are no longer useful as actual utensils.
And this is how my wall turned out. I didn't know what to put between them, so I grabbed a canvas from the art closet. The background was painted all black, then I mixed in some of that Valspar paint from above to add the "stripe" element. Let it all dry and painted the words on with the Valspar paint.
Here is what it cost me to make both of these:
1"x8"x6' whiteboard - $7.50
Valspar paint sample - Free with coupon
Spray paint - $0.96
Utensils - Already had
E6000 - Already had
Hanger - Already had
Total - $8.46 (and I still have four boards left over!)
In the end, I love this wall! And at the price and little time required to make it all, I can always change it out if we ever paint or if I want to make it a little more funky. I may change them with the seasons...black/orange for Halloween...brown/yellow for Thanksgiving....green/red for Christmas! I hope you enjoy this project as much as I do! Let me know if you do it and how it turns out! I would love to see what colors you choose!
The Momma
1 comment:
Yay for you! I'm terrible at keeping up with mine too but am trying!
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