March 26, 2013
Have I mentioned I love unfinished pieces I find at Michael’s? I found this tray for $4.99 and knew it would be perfect for Kuy’s big boy bed. At first, I destroyed it painted it light gray and the center orange. Obviously, I had no vision for what I wanted it to look like. I put it in the closet once it dried and honestly, forgot about it.
Then, the other day when I was getting out paints for my Striped Frame project, I pulled it out. I had a vision: why not try chevron? I had made a pattern previously when I painted my rugs in my hallway so I knew it would be fairly easy. However, before I began, I knew I had to cover up the ugly orange that I already painted!
Using painter’s tape, I first cut the strip in half because I wanted a thin chevron line.
Next, I started putting the tape down for a pattern. It took me a few tries to get it centered and even. I’m not about perfection in projects so this wasn’t too terribly time-consuming.
After that, I didn’t want to make another pattern so I took the easy way out and sketched the lines with a pencil. Again, not perfect, but it works for the look I was going for (this somewhat backfired because you could see the pencil line through the orange paint).
I began painting with Tempera paint (I’m pretty sure I confiscated this from when I coached cheerleading and we made banners! Don’t tell!). I used a skinny brush and just alternated painting, pulling up tape, and sketching the line.
Obviously, these pictures reveal so many imperfections! Luckily, I wasn’t going with perfection. However, I did go back and touch up where the paint seeped through the tape.
I decided, of course, I wanted to rough it up a little with sandpaper. I’m thinking I may have ruined it in my haste to finish. Now, the whole tray is a little more orange than whitish gray.
After it was complete, I felt like it needed something more. At first, I thought about putting Kuy’s initials in the center to match the monogram on his pillow. After about thirty seconds of debating that, I decided I wanted a phrase. Russ and I brainstormed for a while, I looked on Pinterest, and finally, I thought about “sail away.” Russ told me to stop looking. We agreed on something. Use it.
Here is the almost finished product:
I asked my friend from Cooley’s Creations to make a vinyl print of “sail away” (I’ve got to invest in a Silhouette!) but I want to rough it up a little more before I add it! What do you think? Any other boyish phrases I could put around his room?
