Writer-Themed Tim Holtz Clock

Writer-Themed Tim Holtz Clock
Have you seen the Idea-Ology Assemblage Clock from Tim Holtz? I've actually gutted vintage clocks to make them over... and I can tell you this clock is waaaaay easier! The back just pops right off, no screws. And it's basically a blank canvas waiting to be personalized. The hardest part is choosing a theme.

I thought about doing a Christmas theme (and I still might!), but I wanted a clock I could display year-round, something that was... me. So, I chose a writer theme. I loooove a good book. I'm also a children's author (check out the Villain School Books).

Here's a quick tutorial on how you can make this writer-themed clock.

Most of the elements (the background and little pile of mail, scroll, tiny books, etc.) came from my Romance Writer Scrap Pack. I actually had to resize the elements to fit the clock and have the "mini elements" file available to anyone who purchases the scrap pack from my Etsy shop.

Remove Glass Front
The first thing I did was remove the glass front piece to prep the clock for spray-painting. It comes in a shiny silver, which is attractive, but I wanted a more "vintage" feel. A pair of pliers helped to loosen the little nuts so I could turn the metal pieces enough to slip the glass out. Be careful, some pieces of this are sharp and could potentially cut you.

Spray Paint
Set the glass aside. I found a piece of old cardboard to lay my clock on and went outside to spray paint. I did not want a black clock, but rather a vintage silver. So, I did a very LIGHT coat of spray paint, standing a couple feet away and just misting it over the clock. I repeated it until I got the look I wanted.

Paper Backing
Next, I traced the back onto some paper from my Romance Writer Scrap Pack on Etsy. It has the look of old typewriter keys and made a nice backdrop for my decorative elements. I glued it to the clock-back.

Assembling Mini Elements
Now it was time to assemble my writer-themed elements! I printed out a few items from my Romance Writer Scrap Pack and also my Da Vinci Mini Book & Alice In Wonderland Mini Book. Re-sizing the items, I created a mini pile of envelopes & postcards, tying them together with hemp twine (find a similar twine here). I used a pencil to roll up my "scroll" and added a goose down feather I found outside as a "quill".

Arranging The Layout
I played around with the layout, placing my clock over the back piece to see how things would fit.

Finishing Touches
Once I had the items arranged as desired, I glued them into place. The mini books I simply tossed in the bottom, then I pushed the back onto the clock, with the elements glued to it. A tiny vintage typewriter pencil sharpener (found on eBay, you can find a similar one here) with some typed words displayed on top finished the look.

Will you do a clock makeover now? What will your theme be?
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DIY Scrabble Tile Wall Decor

*Please note we are not professionals. Projects and products depicted in this blog are not to be taken as advice, but as inspiration only. 

ALSO NOTE: I cannot offer advice about this project. This is just to show you how I created the project for my own personal use.

How I Made My Own Over-Sized Letter Tiles Wall Decor
Hubby and I are recently empty-nesters. Well, not exactly. Our older daughter has moved into her own place in a city about 40 minutes from us. And our younger daughter is currently traveling with a missions group. She will return this summer for a month before leaving again for another year. So, basically Hubby and I are on our own.

It was really hard at first. Both our kids left within a month of each other. We went from being a family of four, to a couple again. As young parents, we'd dreamed of the day when our kids would be independent, and Hubby and I could finally have a chance to travel and "date" again. But I never realized how much a family dynamic changes when the kids grow up.

I decided I wanted to celebrate the fact that we're still a family, even if parts and pieces of us are scattered a bit. So, I'm working on a gallery wall above our basement stairs. Part of that wall is our names in over-sized Scrabble style wood letter tiles.

You've probably seen these on Pinterest. If you've thought about doing them, I say go for it! These turned out even better than I'd imagined. Here's how I did it.

Cutting My Tiles
Hubby cut the tiles from 1x6 boards. They measure 5.5 x 5.5 inches. He even sanded the edges for me. Gotta love that man! If you don't have the time or tools to do this, check out these pre-cut wood squares on Amazon.
I goofed on how many tiles we needed. I counted each letter in our names, but forgot that some of the letters would be shared (like the K in the girls' names). So I ended up with a few extra tiles.

Painting The Tiles
Next, I had a decision to make. I've seen these tiles in many different finishes, and I really like ALL of them. Should I leave the wood natural? Stain it dark brown? Gray? Paint it black with white letters? The possibilities! I decided to do a combination style for a distressed grayish-white look that would match my farmhouse decor. I began by painting the tiles with white SATIN latex paint--just the front and sides. The back I left plain wood.

Printing & Tracing
Next, I printed the letters/numbers out on paper and colored on the back with a pencil. (I'll include the printable letters at the end of this post). I then traced these onto my tiles. I filled the letters in with black craft paint. The numbers were so small, I decided to fill these in with Sharpie. The marker dries out pretty fast. Each letter/number takes two coats of paint.

Sanding The Edges
The next step was to sand the edges of each tile. I used a sanding block, but you could use an electric sander, too. I wanted just a bit of raw wood on the corners and edges for the next step, which is gray stain.

Staining Over The Paint
I used rubber gloves for this next part. I wore an apron, too. Using a brush, I applied wood stain in Carbon Gray to the sanded edges, and all around the sides of the block. With a cotton towel, I wiped the stain away and also rubbed it into the wood, spreading it lightly around for an antiqued finish.

Hanging My Tiles
Now I had all my tiles, and they looked even better than I'd hoped! But I had a dilemma. How do people hang these on the wall? One at a time? That seems crazy! I came up with a plan to use a thin piece of wood to connect the tiles and create one giant piece of art. Hubby agreed and did all the hard work. He then attached a couple saw-tooth hangers to the back for hanging. Did I mention I love that man?

All Done!
I did a quick layout on the floor to see where other pieces would fit with my tiles. I am planning to add a few more things, like the word "family" and maybe the letter S or number 4. But I love how it looks on the wall!

So, what about you? Think you'll give this project a try?


*Please note we are not professionals. Projects depicted in this blog are not to be taken as advice, but as inspiration only. 

Want more ideas? Check out my post on How to Transfer an Image to Wood.
To download the printable letters, click each one and right click to save the image or print it.
Please note the size. There are 4 letters on each 8.5x11 inch printable sheet. So each letter fits in a space that is approximately 5.5 x 4.25 inch.

 

 

How To Make A Lake House Sign

How To Make A Lake House Sign
Recently, Hubby and I moved to a house on a lake. It really was a dream come true. We'd always talked about what it would be like to wake up and see the sun on the water, to watch the storms roll in and whip up the waves. Of course, we never believed we could actually afford it. So, when an opportunity came up, we jumped at the chance!

Waking up to lake views is pretty amazing, but there's another element to lake life that I hadn't really thought about until we moved in... decorating! There are so many fun elements to lake house décor. It's like a blend of cabin-y woods and boats and anchors. Of course I don't want to go overboard (pardon the pun). Too much theme-y décor can start to feel cheesy. But a little sailboat here or anchor there can add just the right touch of lakehouse to my usual farmhouse style.

And that is where this sign comes in. I wanted to acknowledge our lake home without painting everything blue and putting up lake themed décor everywhere. I think it's a nice nod to lake life.

To Make This Sign You Will Need:

• 1x1 wood boards for the frame
• Flat wood (There are lots of options here. I used old wall paneling that we just flipped over.)
• Screws, nails or nail gun
• Picture hanging hardware (such as these)
• Paint or stain for the frame (I used Rust-Oleum Carbon Gray stain)
• Acrylic craft paint for the words
• White latex paint or craft paint for the background
• Paintbrushes and craft paintbrushes
• Willow charcoal or pencil

Step 1: Assemble The Frame
Hubby assembled the wood frame. Ours is 4 ft. long to fit our fireplace, but you can make it any size you want. Cut equal top and bottom pieces. Then cut equal side pieces. Screw the side pieces onto the top and bottom pieces of the frame. Cut the flat wood panel to fit behind the frame. Make it just a bit smaller so the frame hides the edges, but so you can still attach it.
DO NOT attach the frame to the paneling yet.

Step 2: Stain the Frame
Using a workspace, stain the frame. I get the weathered wood look by lightly brushing the stain across the wood, leaving some of the wood unstained. It's extremely easy. You  might want gloves for this part. You could also use craft paint. I don't bother staining the back as no one will see it.

Step 3: Paint the Flat Wood Panel Piece
I painted the panel white with latex interior white satin paint. White craft paint would work, too. It took a few coats to completely cover the wood.

Step 4: The Words
To add the words "Live Love Lake" to the sign, I used Photoshop. But you could probably use Microsoft Word. Just choose a font. I used "You Are Loved" font. And choose a size that makes sense for your sign and the space where it will hang. I printed off the letters a page at a time and then assembled them with tape, laying them out on my sign for a good fit.

Flip the assembled words over and use willow charcoal or a pencil to color on the back. TIP: I hold the sign up to a window so I can see the letters through the paper. Then I only color where the letter is. Once the back of each letter has been colored, flip the words back over and lay them gently on your flat white wood piece.

Tape them into place and trace each letter with a pen or pencil to transfer it to the wood sign. I re-trace the letters with pencil after they've been transferred, then use a cloth to wipe away the charcoal.

Finally, paint the letters with black acrylic paint and a small, flat artist paintbrush. When the letters are dry, I use the white background paint on a large paintbrush. Dip it lightly in the paint and then wipe it almost dry on a paper towel. Lightly pull the brush across the words. This is a "dry brush" technique that makes the words look weathered.

Step 5: Assemble
Once it is dry, use a nail gun to attach the flat piece to the frame. Attach hanging hardware to the back of the frame, too, one on each side. And you're done!

Farmhouse Cabinets To Inspire You

Ideas for Farmhouse Cabinets From 10+ Bloggers!
For Valentine's Day, some girls get flowers or chocolates or jewelry. Me? I get a big old farmhouse cabinet! Yup. My  hubby knows me very well. Flowers fade, but farmhouse is forever! :)

My Valentine cabinet is an antique beauty. I can tell it has a lot of history because of the style of glass and the type of nails and hardware. Plus, it's in pretty rough shape. So, the question is, what to do with it? Should I try to restore it? Or paint it? or leave it as-is with all its rustic charm?

I decided to round up ideas from some of my favorite bloggers to inspire me. I hope they inspire you, too!

Amber Oliver

Pretty Handy Girl

Southern Revivals

A Brick Home

Our Crafty Mom

Roots & Wings Furniture LLC

Tracey's Fancy

Green With Decor

Pinterest Addict

Petal & Ply

H2O Bungalow