Now, on to the project. I took a few photos, but it really is simple and pretty self explanatory as far as projects go. I love all the displays I see online, but in my attempt to be thrifty I think I came up with a pretty nice alternative!
First you need to gather supplies-- I found these nice wooden plaques at Walmart for a few dollars, but if you have some scrap wood laying around, feel free to use that too (I was just feeling too lazy to dig through my dad's scrap pile at home). You will also need some screw in hooks to hold your medals and such, and some saw tooth picture hangers (for the back of the piece, to hold it on the wall of course).
You'll need some paint (whatever you like!) and things to decorate it/ fancy it up with (anything goes-- I used glitter glue, because I'm about 8 years old in my head).
Here's the hooks and one of the wooden pieces, unpainted.
First things first, find a surface that's ok to paint on (I am MESSY, so I just keep old cardboard around-- put a drop cloth down, whatever you need to keep your house fabulous) and go to painting! I just used the cheapie craft paint that's less than a dollar-- a couple of coats will work fine, just be sure it dries in between. Make sure you get the sides covered too!
The Hare liked the deep green, and it did look nice. (Can you tell I painted my peace sign door wreath on that cardboard before? Haha)
After painting your basic coats of base paint, you need to mark with dots where you want your hooks and your bibs to go. I just laid the bib down and put a little dot of paint (sharpie would work too-- just for a reference later) where the holes are, then put a line of dots across the bottom for the medal hooks.
Once that is settled, you can see where your "free" space is, to write an inspirational quote, or in our case "His" and "Hers" (since they'll be hanging together, it's cutesy and newlywed, right?)-- or just a photo of you, or anything you want! That's the beauty of DIY, isn't it? Anyway, that is the point I put my glitter glue/ fancy stuff on too, so it could sit for a few hours and dry well before putting the hooks on.
Plotting out the location of the hooks.
Now, this is where I should have thought a little ahead. Before you put the hooks on, (but be sure it's dry) be sure to flip it over and put the picture hanger on the back (while it still lays flat). Just measure the width of the board with a ruler, and mark the center (so it will hang straight!), and hammer it into place. Most of them come with little nails by the way!
Taking pictures while I (impatiently) wait for the paint and glitter to dry.
Once everything is dry, it's time to put the hooks on! I just did it by hand (wear some gloves or use pliers, or you may get blisters on your fingers! Mine got sore, but thankfully I had the Hare's help on some of them.
Hooks! Also, more proof that having a safe surface to paint on is a great idea!
Twisting the hooks into the Hare's board-- it was slow going, but they hold really well!
The Hare was helpful during this process-- he made sure they both hung at the same height, and he helped me with some of the harder hooks.
The finished product! Hang them wherever you see fit, and add your bibs and medals accordingly! Then stand back and enjoy it! There is plenty of room for growth on ours, huh? That's a-ok with me, that means lots more to run!
**Personal Update**
We had our long run tonight-- and we realized that we just ran more than 1/3 the distance of a half marathon! We were slow (it was earlier than usual, and honestly the hottest I've felt so far this summer), but we felt great about it! It's a great feeling, once you see just how far you've come from the start. All week we have really been on it hard to train, and it's paying off. I'm seeing the definition in my legs clearly now, and the Hare is seeing all the results (cross training is bulking him up faster than I am, but that's being skinny for you!) and enjoying it.
Do you display your race memorabilia, or store it? Do you like crafty projects? Tell me about it!
No comments:
Post a Comment