Chicken Wire Initial Art

I love plaques, and I love monograms, and I love chicken wire (and not just because I grew up on a farm where it was used regularly)!

This little plaque was created using a board I cut down, sanded, and coated with bright blue acrylic paint (I knew that it would later be dulled by the glaze, so that's why I like to start out with a really bright color on projects like this).

I got out my Valspar antiquing glaze (I can't stop using it.  I just used it yesterday on my coffee table) and gave the whole piece a light wash.  The B was made with a stencil. I just invested in a set of letters, as hand-painting them takes a while, let me tell you!  Then I used wire cutters to cut a small section of chicken wire, which I bent and folded around the plaque and fastened to the back with wood joiners (althrough I'm sure you could use carpentry tacs).  The last step is hanging with a black satin ribbon.

I love how it turned out, althought I must say, getting chicken wire to cooperate isn't entirely simple. Or painless.

Perfect in my blue kitchen!

In addition to the parties on my blog parties tab, I'm linking to:
Under $100
Thrifty Thursday
Feathered Nest Friday
Show and Tell Friday
Fantastic Friday
Craftomaniac Monday

Chistmas Gift Plaque

The homemade Christmas streak continues for my mother.  In addition to the sheet music topiary, I made her this initial wall plaque. 

There is something so gratifying about handmade, and for me, the joy of handmade is magnified when I can "repurpose" and thrift my way to a beautiful, "new" creation.

This plaque started out as Halloween decore I got at Ross five years.  I liked it, but decided I could let it go for the sake of something better (anyone else ever have that happen?).



I slapped on a few coats of acrylic paint in the color "Sand."

Here is a little something I got at Goodwill for fifty cents.

It got a "Sand" paint, vintage sheet music, and Mod Podge treatment.

Here is some pretty black toile scrapbook paper I got at Hobby Lobby.

I decoupaged it onto the larger plaque.

Then I glued the smaller plaque onto the larger one.

I bought a $.99 chipboard "I" and painted it black. 

I also smudged a little of the taupe paint on the edges to make it look weathered.  Then the initial went onto the top of the smaller piece.

Two little wooden accents got a coat of black paint and Mod Podge to finish it.

And they were placed on the top and bottom of the large plaque.

The end!

Another handmade gift completed!


(P.S., I linked this to Someday Crafts and Trendy Treehouse.  Please see their buttons at their permanent home on my sidebar!)

Rustic Initial Decore

While working on something similar for a Christmas gift for my mama, I decided to make a little something personalized for our house as well!  After all, I've only been married for five months, so I'm still enthralled by the idea of having a new last initial. :)

The cost of this project broke down as follows:  $1.99 wooden plaque at Michael's, $.79 scrapbook paper, $.99 chipboard letter.  (You will also need a few paint supplies, but I already had most those, luckily!  And if you don't, they won't set you back but a few dollars.)

I painted the edges of the wood "Milk Chocolate."



And decoupaged some pretty scrapbook paper on top.

I painted the "B" with tan paint, then applied a crackle medium (my first time!) and followed up with more Milk Chocolate.  It really did crackle!

And finally, I glued the "B" onto the plaque after sealing everything with a good coat of Modge Podge (love that stuff).  Very simple.

Rustic, pretty, and cheap....just the way I like it!



(P.S. I'm linking this little creation to Inspiration Friday , Feathered Nest Friday, and Remodelaholic....see their buttons at their permanent home on my sidebar!  I'm also linking up to The Shabby Nest's Frugal Friday...it's such a pretty blog!)