Sign – Dust Bunnies and Dog Toys

New Décor in the Laundry Room

Published on April 18, 2016April 18, 2016 by JennaLeave a comment

Is anyone else out there a serial fluffer when it comes to laundry? The hubs knows full well that just about every load that goes in the dryer will be fluffed at least once before I break down and pull it out to fold or put away. I’d seen several signs that said “Wash, Dry, Fold, Repeat” but none that included Fluff in the process so I decided I needed one for our laundry room. I originally planned to DIY this but when I discovered Rustic Champagne at the Alaska Chicks Vintage Market I decided to have her create one for me instead.

I originally planned to hang the sign above the door to the garage but while measuring the space for it I noticed it would work better where the metal safety pin art I had previously DIY’ed was, so I opted to sell those and replace them with the sign. Luckily, the sale of the pins and another item paid for the new sign, so I was ok with bending the rules of No-Spend April since it worked out to be trading two things for one better one. Plus I started arranging the order back in March so it doesn’t count *cough*cough*.

It will look even better once we get the countertop installed on the cabinets in here, but that will definitely have to wait until No-Spend April is over and based on the quote I got recently it will probably be a while before we commit to that project.

I love the rustic finish and the white background lightens up the space by reflecting the light from the window, which the safety pins never did. Plus the simple design keeps it from feeling too fussy or overwhelming the space.

And if you look closely, you’ll notice a little clue about the next project I’ll be sharing just outside the window. It’s been a big one, but definitely brought a vast improvement thanks to a lot of hard work by the hubs! Check back soon to find out what it is!

Rustic Humble Sign

Published on October 2, 2015October 14, 2015 by JennaLeave a comment

I spotted this large sign at an estate sale we attended this summer and immediately wanted it. Unfortunately, the auction was done “by the pallet” and it was the only thing on the pallet I wanted so when the price went up I bowed out. When I spotted the winning bidder sorting through the rest of the pile I figured it was worth a shot to ask if they wanted the sign and if they would be willing to sell me just that item. He replied with “$20 and it’s yours.” Needless to say I quickly dished out a $20 and practically skipped away with my sign.

Once I sat down with it I realized it wasn’t a true antique. Instead it was a paper print on a metal base and because the auctioneers had taped across it to secure it on the top of the pallet the original buyer had realized that the tape was ripping the paper decal as you tried to take it off. I was pretty bummed but decided to give it a shot. I slowly worked the tape off so it wouldn’t damage any more of the decal and was able to get the entire strip off without further damage.

Once I got it home I Modge Podged the ripped section, which left a thin white line on either side of the tear. To disguise that I took some wood stain and applied it lightly to the area wiping it off quickly. A few coats made it blend right in. You can still spot it if you look for it, but otherwise you’d never notice. I decided to hang it in what will become our Foster Child room above the closet. Being up high helps hide the blemish and I thought it was a great sentiment for a child’s room.

I’ve got some other exciting revamp/DIY plans for getting this room set up. We need the room to be gender neutral, so I’m going with an industrial/vintage style that can be personalized a bit for whoever comes to stay with us. I’ll be sharing those details over the next few weeks, so stay tuned!

Shared on Knick of Time’s Vintage Inspiration Party #209!

Quick DIY Wall Art

Published on June 11, 2015July 13, 2015 by Jenna1 Comment

Today I want to share a quick DIY sign I recently created. I’ve had this Uppercase Living vinyl for some time now, as in more than 3 years because it was purchased for the house we planned to rent in FL when we thought we were being transferred there. Anyway, I loved the phrase so I kept it with the intention of using it at some point. Unfortunately, I’d ordered it in “oat” which was just a shade lighter than our current wall color so I knew it wouldn’t show well if I applied it directly to the wall. I’d considered using a scrap board as a background like I did for the Laundry Room sign, but just hadn’t gotten around to it. Then I spotted this pallet board at Michaels and inspiration struck, especially since I had a coupon for 40% off!

The construction was pretty basic, several boards secured on the back with cross pieces and a twine hanger at the top. There were several color options – unfinished, white washed and this stained color, which I was immediately drawn to and knew would contrast nicely with the color of the vinyl. With my coupon it cost me around $10.

I was pretty sure it was just the right size for the vinyl, so when I got it home I tested it out and it fit perfectly!

I followed the instructions that came with the vinyl and applied it to the board. I could have called it done then, but I wanted to give it a bit more character so I decided to rough it up a bit with the sander.

Although I did a very light pass on the entire piece there were a few spots that got a little too roughed up due to how they sat on the joints of the wood.

I was slightly distraught about it, but decided to try to find a solution rather than give up on the project.

I started small with the leaf that that was damaged to build my confidence. I used an exacto blade to trim small pieces of damaged vinyl away, reshaping the leaf as needed to work around the missing pieces. I think it worked pretty well.

I did the same on the lettering with decent results. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than the rough edges I started with.

I took a step back to get some perspective and realized that neither spot was very noticeable from a distance. Luckily, our guests don’t typically inspect my décor up close, so it passes muster. I love that the sanding gives it a rustic feel, which also plays into being a little imperfect.

And here it is in our bedroom above the TV. At that height no one will notice my little ‘patched’ areas and it also disguises my other little goof on this project. I’m not saying what that goof was because I want to see if anyone else notices it or if I’m just being too much of a perfectionist! If you think you know what it is, leave a comment below! 🙂

Quick DIY Thanksgiving Decor

Published on November 4, 2014November 18, 2014 by JennaLeave a comment

Now that Halloween is over, I’m in full Thanksgiving mode and that means the decorating has begun. This pretty plate was a left over from a recent work event and it just screamed to be made into a sign. It fit perfectly on one side of my entry table and I thought a simple “Give Thanks” was the perfect way to welcome guests during this season.

I loved the texture it already had and new simple white letters would play well off that. I took some quick measurements and played with a few fonts on my Silhouette and came up with this!

I do wish it filled the space a bit more, but I still love it. And it only took about 5 minutes to create! All with materials I found for free or had on hand. That’s my kind of decorating. Here’s a quick sneak peek at the other side of the entry way table.

I found that little owl lantern at the thrift store for a few dollars earlier this year, and the wooden tote started out solid black as a clearance find at JoAnns. I sanded it down on a whim one day and loved the texture the left over paint gave it. And because it’s so simple it ends up being used in many of my vignettes throughout the year. And you might remember my little lace votives from this project.

Looks like someone approves of my Thanksgiving entry way decor! I’m still working on a few things for the other areas I’m decorating, but I’ll share those soon. 🙂

Rustic Laundry Room Sign

Published on September 2, 2014September 2, 2014 by Jenna2 Comments

I tackled several projects over the long holiday weekend and this is one of my favorites. When we thought we were being transferred to Florida a few years ago I purchased a couple Uppercase Living vinyl phrases for the house we contracted to rent. But plans changed and we didn’t transfer and the fancy phrases got tucked away for future use. Now that we’re in our own home I’ve been deciding how to use them and knew that the laundry room phrase I had would make a perfect sign for the top of the cabinets in that space.

I found a scrap piece of wood left over from when the hubs took apart the old dog beds. It was destined to be used for this sign because it was the perfect size without any further prep.

I painted the perimeter of the board gray since I wanted to rough up the edges and have some color come through. Then I gave the whole thing a couple coats of white.

Next I randomly sanded the edges until I was happy with the look of the texture. I was pretty pleased with how the grey peeked through.

Then came the hard part of prepping the vinyl and making sure I applied it centered and straight! It took a few attempts, but I finally got it right.

The hubs helped me add a little more sanding around the lettering and gave the words themselves a light sanding for texture.

I climbed up on the washer and dryer to reach the cabinet top, where I used some shims and a small easel to make it stand just the way I wanted. It ties in with the other fun signs in this room and it fits the space perfectly. Another project done and I couldn’t be happier with the result!

Next up for this room is a fold down drying rack and a cabinet for the laundry sink, but those are both projects for the coming months when Alaska’s winter weather traps us indoors.