"The best things in life are free", yes that's true. Though, I'm also partial to "The best things in life are easy". haha. That's because free (as in curbside
trashure) usually ends up in a whole lotta elbow grease. What I'm referring to is a DIY project. If you take a peek below, you'll see someone's attempt to create a DIY laundry sign. While it's quirky cute, I want to take it up a notch. My goal is to show you how to easily create your own wall art that looks professional without big bucks.
So, someone decided to use a cut of board and added a wire hanger to create this sign. That's perfect. However, the stenciled from is somewhat lacking. I like the idea and even the color, but...what about snazzing it up a bit?
I mean, no offense to whomever gave this a try, but I did find it at a local thrift store so I'm assuming it wasn't all the rage. tsk.
LAUNDRY MUSINGS
As you can imagine, my itchy sander finger is ready to take off that stenciled art. Bring it on, baby!
Notice that I'm sanding away "lifes problems"...a grammar error I hope to correct. I do enjoy laundry. Yes, I know, I know, many abhor it to the hilt, but for me...it means my loves are here. Not only that, but also that I am able to do laundry. What a blessing to be able to see traces of my family about me, sighing over how fast time flies, and knowing one day I won't be doing this anymore. Laundry, to me, is a celebration of family.
Then, as soon as I've sanded the sign down to raw wood, I use my
reactive stain to give it a charred/blackened look. I just love this stuff! It's less messy than a regular stain, works with the tannins in the wood to age it right before your eyes, and is done within minutes! Also, you can see it in action in the video below.
CREATING TEXTURE
Meanwhile, while I wait for the stain to cure, I grab some scrap luan from my stash and trace a laundry basket using a printout from the web.
I cut out the basket using my jigsaw, but if you're not into power tools, you can use a coping saw. It works wonderfully and is just as good as a scroll saw. In addition, you can use any of those wood cutouts you can find in a craft store as well. That's when I turned around and spied the leftover seat caning in my burn box that came from my vintage chair that became
a laundry rack and then an
upcycled bin rack.
It looks like a basket to me! I trace my wood cutout on the caning and cut it out. After that, I glue the caning on the wood and add rope to accent. This will add a dimensional effect to my DIY laundry sign. While I know y'all don't have a busted chair seat hanging around, you can use jute twine to make similar, or textured paper, or fabric, or paint a design on.
Finally, I want to add typography. Not only do I adore typography, but I am making a sign, right? Using
my sign tutorial I create a graphic and trace it on then hand-paint it in.
If you don't have the tech savvy to create graphic designs, just know that anyone can trace a design. Print out something you find or copy one out of a book and tape it to the window if you don't have a light box. You just need to try!
CLEANING UP
After all is said and done, my DIY laundry sign is showcasing a different sort of vibe. I'm lovin' it!
Can I just say this was so absolutely fun?! The little basket adds just the right amount of texture, while the typography says it all for our home. Additionally, the black stain lets the wood grain peek out and add even more texture.
In each and every project I create, my goal is to give you inspiration that spurns you to try it yourself. Is it working yet? Part of the excitement is in just trying, the other is seeing your vision come to life.
If you'd like to make this sign a part of your home decor, you can find it and much more available in
my online store.
SHARE
As always, it only makes the creative juices flow better when we share with others. Take a minute to leave a comment below, then pin and share to inspire others too.
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Trash to Treasure Tuesday. I'm dreaming up what to do with this Art Deco dressing table. eep!
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