Monday, January 16, 2012

DIY: {personalized subway sign}

What do you get the guy that has everything?

Okay, Hubby really doesn't have everything...but he usually puts everything he needs on his Christmas list for his parents, and I get stuck with get the honor of trying to think up something creative.  :o)

This past Christmas was no exception.  So I decided to get artsy.  Not really, as I don't have any artistic ability as a painter.  However, using some wood, stencils, and paint I created a low-budget piece that really had some personal meaning to our relationship...

a subway sign -- using streets, or "stops" from our relationship.  Our first date, first apartment, first engagement, second engagement, etc...and then ending with the three streets we have now owned homes on.

I priced having it done professionally, and that would have been several hundred dollars.  I did the project myself for $30 {most expensive part being the stencils, which I can use again for other projects!}

I've always loved these signs that have been all over the place for quite a while.

It seemed like a simple project.  Stencil on the letters and paint them.  I wanted it to be a wood sign that I handpainted.  So I used a 2'x4' piece of birch wood ($8) and painted it black with paint I already had.

Then I placed my letters, which took quite a bit of time.  I had to decide on the order, what size lettering, etc.  Then I had to make them even.  Precision is not my forte, nor is patience.  So this was a daunting task.  Plus, I had to do all of this whenever the baby napped.  Needless to say, not much cleaning got done for about 3 full weeks.  A baby-free person could probably get this done in a weekend.  It needs two coats of white paint.

Here is the sign nearly completed.  See the pile of towels in the background?  Yeah, those probably sat there a while.

And here is the finished sign!  This is not where we're going to put it, as I made it with the thought that we would hang it in our new home, whenever we actually move into it.  That could be a while, as we have to sell our current house first.  But I had to take a picture, right?  

 Can't wait to see where this ends up!

Happy Monday, friends!
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6 comments:

  1. Love seeing those MN street names! Very cute project!

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  2. greta! it's awesome. you did such a good job, i bet paul loved it!

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  3. Great job!!!! :) Super cool. My mum made one of those, too!

    My new way of thinking. Our house is always going to be messy...laundry will always need to be done....but who cares. ;) deal with it.

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  4. i remember you talking about wanting to make this -- it's gorgeous!! you did a fabulous job! :) paul must have been thrilled!

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  5. So cool! I love it. Homemade/heartmade gifts are the best :)

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  6. Hi Greta! Stopping by from Whipperberry link party. Your subway sign turned out great! I want to make one myself but streets name in spanish aren't so cool, and I don't have any story with streets in english so I'll have to think of something else I can use...
    Great blog, I'm your newest follower, it would be great if you stopped by my blog someday..
    http://handmadebyizz.blogspot.com/
    Greetings from Spain

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