My wife and I LOVE getting artwork from our daughter's preschool. Sometimes, we get clues that something might be afoot when she gets home; like some paint under her nails, or marker on her arm. About every 2 weeks or so, we get a project to take home and display on the fridge.
BUT...
The problem now is that our fridge doors are getting full! Plus, the magnets fall off when the doors open and the artwork flies across the room. We want to show off what our little artist does, but there has to be a better way...
Jeez, I sound like an infomercial.
My wife sent me a pin on Pinterest that seemed easy enough. It was long slats of wood hung on the wall horizontally; they had artwork hanging from a string using clips that stretched across the slats horizontally.
I really like the idea, but the string thing didn't sit well with me. I've got a different plan in mind.
Let's do it!
I started with a 4 foot X 11.25 inch common board that I had lying around. It's thickness is 3/4". My wife wanted 2 or 3 planks to hang pictures on, so I split the board into 3 equal pieces of 3.75 inches each, just to be safe.
I just ran the board through my table saw after setting it up for 3.75" cuts. The marks are there for my own mental well-being (measure twice, cut once blah blah blah).
So, after cutting the planks, I laid them out and consulted with my wife. I asked her if she wanted me to "age" the wood to look more decorative, like I did in the Rustic Wood Serving Tray project (check it out on the blog page). She loved that idea, and so did I!
It's clobberin' time!
Man, that was therapeutic!
If you checked out the Rustic Serving Tray post, you know how much I love "aging" new wood. I used a medley of tools to make imperfections in the wood, like hammers, chisels, screwdrivers, nails, screws, drill bits and blades. And I WENT TO TOWN!
Like I said in the previous post, the deeper the blemishes and the more imperfections there are, the better it's going to look when it's stained. And randomization is key; if it looks too planned or pattern-like, it won't look as authentic.
I did a light sanding over the surface to remove jagged splinters to make the really "gnarly" bits safer for anyone walking by. The sawdust filled some of the holes in, so I had to go by with a wet towel and a flathead screwdriver to dig out the holes and prep the boards for stain.
I used Minwax Dark Walnut stain because it's my favorite and it matches the other projects in our house that are hanging on the walls. Because some of the holes were super deep, I had to use a sponge brush and force the stain down into the holes. I used a rag to stain the boards to give it a more rustic look.
Now, to let them dry completely before applying a poly seal!
I used a brush-on, water-based poly on the planks using a foam brush. This seal is really easy to apply; it goes on white, and dries clear. It only took about 15 minutes to dry completely without sticky residue. Plus, it's a satin finish, so it didn't take away from the "aged" look.
Now, I need to find some way to hang the artwork... Like I mentioned, I'm not a huge fan of the "string" approach that I saw on the pin my wife sent me. So, I went through my drawers in search of something I could use...
PERFECT!
These clips were used in the "Familia" sign I did earlier (check the blog for the entry). These offer up a nice, rustic look while also providing a more secure way to hang the artwork. Since the plank is 48 inches long, I spaced the clips out every 8 inches, starting on the 4" mark. I used 1/2" screws to secure them to the board after drilling the holes beforehand to prevent cracking
Now, I just have to repeat the process 2 more times.
Perfect!
On to hanging them up!
My wife liked a spot in the entryway to our kitchen, so her work could be seen as soon as you enter the house. Plus, she mentioned that the planks would be good to hang Christmas cards around Christmas time. Sounds good to me!
So, you can't really tell, but my wall in this part is a little "bowed;" it actually comes outward around the middle of the planks. Not a big deal, just interesting.
I located the studs using a stud-finder; I used 3 screws (1 in each stud) on each plank to secure them to the wall. I drilled out a 1/8" hole to the stud, and used 2.5" screws to fasten the planks. I used a small level when putting them up so that they remained parallel to the ground. I decided on 6 inches between the planks; that leaves enough room for the art to hang down without interfering with the work below.
But...
We decided that we only wanted 2 planks in that spot. I couldn't really go any higher, because then my wife would have to get a step stool to change stuff out. On the other hand, if we were to put another plank lower, the artwork was at risk of being pulled off and defaced by a certain little Picasso running around.
Not a big deal! However, I AM putting the extra plank up on my "Store" tab, so if you really want it for yourself, head on over and check it out!
Once everything was all leveled out and screwed in tight, I transferred over some fridge art and took a step back...
This project came out EXACTLY how I pictured it. My wife was working late the night I put it up, so I made sure to do it before she got home. She noticed it pretty quickly, and she loves it! She thinks it came out better than the one she sent me on Pinterest!
*pat on the back*
So, what started off as a generic 4-foot piece of board has now become 3 decorative pieces to display artwork or whatever else we can think of. And because they were pretty straight-forward to make, if we ever need more, I can whip them in a matter of a day!
Now our little artist can keep on creating masterpieces. And we can show our support and encourage her by displaying it. Total win-win!
-Kevin
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