Keep Calm and DIY On

Decorating and fun diy projects have been put on standby as of recent in my house, with a very active little one (she just started crawling), road trips and less exciting house duties taking priority. But I really can't help myself from time to time. Even if it's just a little thing that grabs my attention and I find a moment to get my diy on. You know, sometimes something small can make a really big impact, or at very least make you really happy in a big way. So with a nice 20 minute gap in my day, I took on a single bland frame in my dining room that needed sprucing. Of course, there are a few bland frames that need a lil somethin' somethin' to finish them up, but one was all I had time for and one was good enough for me. I had decided that I wanted something written in a few of the frames (I have a giant "W" planned for one frame) and I settled on just the right frame perk up that will help perk me up every time I see it. The ever popular and always pertinent saying, "Keep calm and carry on" was the ticket for this particular craft, so I got to work.

This lonely and empty frame was calling out to me, and was the right size for this little idea of mine.

I simply found the saying I wanted and traced it from my computer screen. I did this because our printer is not currently hooked up, otherwise I would've just printed it out and saved myself the trouble. After my tracing was complete, I taped the paper to the window to use as a sort of cheapo lightbox. Really wishing I had a real lightbox at that moment considering the number of people who walked by and stared at me standing 5 inches from my window with a baby on my hip tracing away. Oh well.

I cut a piece of burlap to fit the frame and taped it over the paper. I was able to see the words on the paper quite clearly this way. I would recommend using a dark, thick tip pen to make it even easier.

After I traced the words onto the burlap I filled them in with a dark brown sharpie. I had originally wanted to fill them in with a white paint, but that didn't work too well on my test strip. The white didn't show up and I rather like how the dark print turned out anyways. It looks like I might have cut this out of a certified potato bag or something and it ties in with the dark floors. So in the end, all worked out.

Then I just hot glued (ah, hot glue, my dear and faithful friend) the burlap onto the back of the frame.

Finally, I hung it back in it's rightful place to enjoy for the time being. Who knows if it will stay there forever. I may get tired and change it up or decide I want to put it in another room, but for now it pleases me just fine.

Next step is tackling the big frame. My giant "W" is going in that one. While it seems simple enough, I still have to figure out what style of lettering I want and how to get white paint to really pop or figure out how to make a wooden letter instead. Or maybe I'll fortuitously happen upon a giant wooden "W" that fits perfectly and praise my good fortune. In the mean time, I'll just take pleasure in the little things like my constant reminder to "keep calm" while wrangling the dog, cleaning the bananas that my child just splattered the floor with and soothing her cause now she's mad she doesn't get to eat them. Yes, even the little things can make me a zen momma. 

xoxo, Saybher