Scrabble Wall Tiles

So, I saw something on Pinterest (I really love Pinterest, don't you?) and loved it. So much that I wanted to make it myself. I know everyone loves the ease of vinyl, but there is something really great about woodburn. It never peels off like vinyl (and I now live in a humid climate, so that's a fun new reality), never lightens or gets scraped off like paint, and adds such dimension to a project.

Here is what I made! Admittedly, I'll space them differently next time I hang them (they're too close side-by-side) and be sure to use a leveler - I was in a hurry to get them up on the wall. Don't do that. But I really love the way this turned out! Each tile is 6x8 so this is a nice big focus in my living room.

So, what do you think?

Made It Monday - Clip-On Tie Magic

So, clip-on kid ties. What's the point, really? I mean, I get the point of clip-on ties in general. I guess. But for kids? The very kids who can't tie ties need them attached firmly to their body, not easily pulled off and left sitting in a pile underneath the drinking fountain. Yet we buy them. Usually because they come with the nice button-down shirts in pretty packages that are just perfect for Easter wear. And then, the kids come home tie-less and we wonder why we even bothered in the first place.

Well, I have discovered a solution that will make you all happy you bought those cute shirts. Converting a clip-on to a "stay-on" tie. With just a clip-on tie and some 1/2" width elastic. Easy peasy, too. Gotta love that. Here's how:

Get yourself some clip-on ties. As many as you can. Like I said, this is super easy and you may as well make a bunch in a few minutes. Seriously ... minutes.  Also, if you have one, grab one of those zipper ties. Just to use as a pattern for length of neck loop. If you don't, that's fine. Grab one of your kiddo's shirts and measure (easiest with just a piece of string) the length necessary for the loop around the neck.

Now what? Take your elastic (I used the 1/2" elastic). Measure the length of the neck loop on either the zipper-tie or around the neck of a white shirt. Add 2 or so inches more. Nothing exact. Don't stretch the elastic while you measure it.

Cut that length of elastic for as many ties as you have. If you only have limited elastic, you could actually only make one elastic and switch it onto whichever tie you use. But, I must confess, dressing my kiddo is often a chore, and having to switch out the tie is rather tedious when what I'm about to tell you next can be done lickity-split.

So, you've measured the neckloop and cut the elastic. Now, you're going to sew the ends of said elastic together. Don't fold the elastic on top of itself, though. Twist it once. Then sew the ends together. Use a nice zig-zag stitch perpendicular to the elastic, thick and heavy.

Now, this is what you should have:

Or, if you did what I said, you should have a bunch of these. Easy, right? Now comes the hard part.

Feed the sewn end of the elastic loop through the top layer of the "knot" on your clipon.

Don't pull the elastic all the way through, though. Leave a good size loop at the top.

Now, take the tail of the tie and slip it forward through the part of the loop that is below the knot of the tie.

OK. Tug the elastic up loop upward.

So, you're done! See? Easy peasy. You can now dress your tot in the cutest suit ever and know that the tie will make it back home! You're welcome!

So, go make a bunch of them!

Birthday Board: The End of an Era (or Part III - whichever you prefer)

Welcome to the thrilling conclusion of the Birthday Board trilogy. This post promises winding, twisting and drilling, as we come to the end of the Birthday Board saga. If you need to remember what it is we are working on (or need the how-to's), go ahead and visit Part I - What to Buy and How to Print and Part II - the Burning of the Board

Now, the long-awaited (sorry about that) denouement (like that? I used the thesaurus for that one) of the Birthday Board.

Birthday Board: Part Three - or Making a Name For It

We left off after burning and staining our wood board (we already printed our text on it).  Now we need to make the cute little wood disc dangles that actually show who has a birthday. Otherwise you have a pointless board.  Cute ... but pointless.

Remember, you bought several things to make this happen. It's in Part I. I could just repeat everything again, but we live in a digital age, and it's pretty easy to open up a link like this (click here). It even opens up in a separate window so you can keep this page open and come right back after looking at the list of things to buy. Are we good? Good.

So, get your wood discs and sort them. Some will not be perfect and others will have weird chips in them. That's why you want to get extras. Remember, wood isn't perfect, so the discs made of wood won't be either. Don't blame the manufacturer. I'm sure they are very nice people. Keep the warped ones, though, you might want them to practice on.

Once you've decided on the discs you will use, you also need to get a scrap piece of wood for a template (otherwise you're just going to hate yourself after making 50 of these discs). Probably a piece of 2x4 (only about 3-4 inches tall). This will be used as a base for drilling and a marking point for the holes. Once you've selected the perfect piece of scrap wood, you will also need to get a pen.

Now, I just drew lines suggesting the width of the discs, but if I did it again, I would outline a disc on the wood block. Then mark a ruler line bisecting the circle at the middle. I know I kid about so-so projects not being perfect (ok, not kidding), but this is actually something you want to make sure is pretty well centered. If not, the chains will all hang wonky. Seriously.

Here is what my scrapwood looked like. Yours will have a nice circle drawn instead of outside lines, though. Maybe.

You will also need a super-thin drill and drill bit. Super thin. Like tiny. Almost break-in-your-hand thin. I used my 1/16 drill bit.

Grab a disc you aren't going to use (one of the warped ones, whatever), place it on your scrapwood template and drill two holes: one at the top and one at the bottom (use the middle line of your template as a gauge for where to drill the holes). Don't drill too close to the edge or you end up with it snapping through the edge. Just eyeball it (again, use your warped discs at first so you can mess up a few times while you get comfortable with the gap). Once you've gotten used to it all, grab your discs and go to town. ...

So, your holes are all drilled and you have a lovely stack of discs just begging to be made into something lovely. Now is the time to label. If you wait, it will be wobbly because of the clasps we'll be adding (don't ask how I know this).

Now is the time to decide how you want to denote each person's name and birthday. At first, I was going to rub the text on like I did with the sign itself, make it all cute and darling. Then I realized that families change and names would be added. Wouldn't you feel bad if you were one of the add-ons who got a crappy, handwritten tag, all alone with all the cutesy ones surrounding. mocking. So, I decided to just make them all with crappy handwriting (that's what I do, folks, crappy handwrite). I tried to make them look nice, but yeah ... you do what you can. Anyway.

I wrote their first name and the day of their birthday on the front, and then on the back wrote the entire birthdate - so it can be easily replaced when adding new discs (or if it falls off the board through no fault of my own craftsmanship).

Now would be a good time for you to find out the birthdays of everyone in your family. Don't guess. And make sure everyone writes the dates in the same order. I messed up on my SisInLaw because the date was written day/month/year (as it probably should be, really) instead of month/day/year. Felt terrible.

Once the discs are labeled, we are ready to clasp.

Get your eyepins

and some needle-nosed pliers.

Feed the long end of the eyepin through a hole. Bend the "eye" and tail part up toward the outside of the circle.

Then, pinch the wires near the holes of the disc to keep them from wiggling and use the pliers to twist the tail around the eye part.

Once you've got it started wrapping, you can actually just slide the pliers around in a circle, guiding the tail around. Once you get to the end, use the pliers to pinch a little harder to hide the end within the twists.  Keep the "Eye" part parallel to the flat side of the disc. This will keep the discs lying flat when hanging up.

It won't always look perfect, but it will look nice once it's done. Promise. Now do that twice for each disc (top and bottom hole).  Put on a movie for this, it can get tedious. Goes quick, but feels like forever. If you are giving this as a gift, you should also make a few blank discs completely ready to go and give them with it (remember ... families change).

So, you've done them all. Now what. Now comes the grand finale. Putting it all together. If you haven't already, screw in your eye screws into your board under each month. Don't put your pliers away, because you'll need them for this next part.

Organize your discs by month, then within that pile by day. Use a jump ring to connect each disc to each other and to the board. You'll need to use the pliers to open up the Eye Ring (easier than opening the jump ring, promise) and then pinch it closed again once the jump ring is on it. Use one jump ring between two discs.

And Voila! Now you have a Birthday Board that looks fabulous. Bravo!

Thanks for joining me! Come back for my next project. I'm excited to show you what you can do with old clip-on ties that won't stay on that wriggly tot. Or maybe I'll show you a great way to get a month of meals on board. Lots of plans!

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Birthday Board: the Saga Continues ...

So, as promised, here is the riveting continuance of the Birthday Board Saga. To bring you up to speed, click on that link. Or this one. Either way, it'll bring you back to Part One of the Birthday Board Saga (or What I Need and How To Print). Go Ahead. I'll wait.

...

...

Ah, you're back. Thanks for coming back. Really. I know you could be anywhere right now (Pinterest, Facebook, ... even (gasp) outside). Without further ado ... Part Two You see, I'm a poet and You didn't know it. What? (name that movie)

Birthday Board: Part Two - or the Burning of the Board

Remember, this is what we're making (without the weird ID protective blur at the top)

If you recall, I already told you how to print on your board. Remember? Once you've done that, grab your Wood Burner tool and heat it up. As long as you are careful and not swinging it about wildly - or burning a design super close to the edge of your project - this is a project you can do at your kitchen table or countertop. It won't do any damage unless you drop the tip of it on your table. Then it makes a burn mark, because that's what it does. It's like a tiny curling iron without the protective top tip. So, think about that.

So, my woodburner came with 5 distinctive tips (oh, I was just on Amazon and saw a neat tip kit that comes with 28 different tips and tops and stencils. For only around $10! I'm thinking Christmas list). There is a "calligraphy" tip, a "super-fine sharpened" tip, a "fine but rounded tip", a "medium tip", a "fat & flat" tip (looks like a spatula). I used the "Fine but Rounded" and the "Fat & Flat" tip for this project.

I used the "Fine but Rounded" tip to outline my printed text on my board. Super Easy. Just plug your wood burner into the socket, let it heat up for a few minutes - keep the hot and pointy end away from you ... just sayin' - and begin. Don't press too hard at first. Just thinking about writing with a really big pencil and start with a nice, light touch (like you're dabbing on eye makeup) and add more pressure until you get used to the feel and get the burn you want. Don't hold it in one place for too long unless you are intentionally burning a hole. Because you will. Not the end of the world, but a hole doesn't make for a nice, even text.

I would suggest you grab a bit of leftover wood and start dabbling with the different tips so you get a feel for what it's like and what you like.

Oh, two points:  1) be aware that the whole woodburner tip gets hot. Be careful as you follow curves that you don't lean it in the wrong direction. You'll get a weird burn mark on the outside of your letter. And you don't want that. Unless you do. And then ... you know ... whatever.   And 2) don't lean over the project while burning unless you're a fan of going camping and standing in front of the smoke from the fire. It's not that bad, but it isn't pleasant. That said, the smell of burning Pine (if that's the wood you choose) IS pleasant. Made me smile throughout the entire project. Ahh, wood. I like it.

So, once I outlined my text, I unplugged the wood burner, waited about 30 minutes for it to cool (ok, I actually waited a day for it to cool down because I like my fingerprints. They've got some nice whorls. And yes, whorl is the word I was looking for) and changed out the tip for the "Fat & Flat" tip.

Again, don't hold it too long in one place, but because you are filling in the space, you'll want to hold it there for a bit longer. Especially if you're using a "Fat & Flat" tip. You could do this with the same tip throughout, but it would take forever. Seriously.

Once I finished my larger text (last name & the word BIRTHDAYS), I printed out my small text for the months at the bottom. For spacing, I took the length of my board, subtracted 1.5 inches (I wanted 3/4" extra space on each end) and then divided the remainder by 12. That gave me the distance to put between my Eye Screws. I drew a line on the narrow edge of the board which also gave me a good marking point for the middle of my month text (you know, Jan - put the a in Jan over the line). I used the "Fine but Rounded" tip for the month text.

And no, the reason I didn't show you Jan Feb Mar is not because I didn't actually align them with my line very well ... no sirree. I just like Sep Oct Nov Dec more. Yup.

Once I had finished the wood burning, I drilled a tiny hole in the center of each my pencil lines (eyeballed it ... remember, "so-so projects" not "complete perfection with a ruler projects"). Don't screw in your Eye Screws yet, though. You still need to stain the board. 

So, staining the board. I went to Home Depot (or again, you could visit Lowes or whatever wood and paint type store you have nearby) and found a stain I thought would look good in my M & MIL's homes. Just the small container. You don't need very much at all. Don't go too dark, because your woodburn will not be very readable if the entire piece is super dark. Now, if you're just making scroll work and such, I bet a dark cherry would look beautiful. Hmm.. maybe another project...

Now, don't be like me. I thought I could quickly get these stained between church & making dinner. I went into my garage and plunked my board down on my workbench (OK, you can be like me up until this point) and then, without donning an apron or changing into grubbies (see, now don't be like me) I dipped my sponge brush into the stain and began brushing it gently across the board. It looked beautiful. But my nice white shirt did not. I was actually super careful. Which is probably why there are only 3 lovely dots down the center. And no, bleach does not get stain out. It's called stain for a reason. So, put on your grubbies or at least an apron.

Apply the stain in even coats. Try to follow the grain of wood. Once you've covered the wood once, wipe off the extra stain with a clean, lint-free towel. Let it dry before trying to get it darker. Give it time to cure. Wait for as long as the directions on your stain can tells you. Then, wait some more. Because I'm paranoid like that.

I only applied one coat, because it was the perfect shade for me. 

Once your board is dry (again, follow the instructions on your can of stain), screw in your Eye Screws and ...

Wait for the thrilling conclusion of the Birthday Board Saga. (I know, I hate to-be-continues too).

Go to Part I of Birthday Board (how to get text on a board) or go to Part III of Birthday Board (how to finish it up)

Birthday Board

Hey, Look what I made! 

How cute! But, what is that weird blob at the top of the board? OK, sorry folks. I trust you, I do. I just don't trust that other guy. So, I had to blur out any reference to my fam. I'm sure you understand.

I wanted to come up with a nice Christmas present for the moms (Mine and my Hub's) and they are both very different, lovely ladies. However, both completely love their family. So ... family .... what can I do with family ... Hmm...
And then, I was on Pinterest (if you ask my family, this is more true of my time than when I am not on Pinterest, but I digress). Anyhoo, I was on Pinterest and saw the cutest birthday boards. And I thought, hey, I can do that!

Now, I did actually take a few pics. I think of you, really, I do. But, you must know something. It has been said that I am cheap (not by any of my friends, but specifically said by me. Often.)  Thus, you must know that I don't own a fancy-shmancy camera, nor do I have the inclination or talent to take moving pictures of projects that make the viewer weep with creative joy.
Nope.
Just a few pics to give you a few ideas of how to make this project possible for you. Sorry. Oh, and I shake like jello whenever I try to take a pic, so some of them may be out of focus. Again ... sorry.

So ... moving on...

Here's the Saga (and yes, true to Saga fashion, this post is split into a trilogy. Otherwise it's just way too long).


Birthday Board: Part One - or What I Need and How to Print

I bought a 6"x8' board of pine at Home Depot (because it's close to me ... I'm sure you can find the same board at Lowes). I only needed around 26" per birthday board, but I have a table saw at home, so why leave the leftovers behind? Isn't that why I drive an SUV, to put planks of wood in the back? Exactly.
 Oh, and I bought a few small, silver Eye Screws (I needed 12 per board, but they come in packs, so pick one that has the closest amount)

Photo Courtesy of Amazon

I also went to a local craft store (my current store of happiness is AC Moore - but back in Utah, I usually went to Michaels) and picked up a few things too:

1) Lara's Wood Disk/Circle 1.5" - Check in your store for the large packages (Amazon only has 6per for a really high price. I think I only paid $3 per package of 22 instore).  You need the # discs as there are people in your family (including you, unless you are forever 29 and need no one to remember your birthdate again). But, get a few extra, if you're giving this as a gift, in case more people are added to the family (you know, people have babies).

2) Sweet Beads Fundamental Finding Eyepin 50 x 0.6 mm Silver 72pc - You want 2 times the number of discs you need. Get them with long tails, because you need the tail to make a pretty swirl.

Photo Courtesy of Amazon

3) Jump Rings - I chose small ones and calculated needing .5 per disc (you know, one for every two, to link them together)

Photo Courtesy of Amazon

Just a heads up, the eye pins and jump rings are found near the beading and necklace-making aisles.

I was going to make the wording for the sign with my vinyl and cricut, but then, as I was wandering around the craft store (looking for the wooden discs - they are with the wood cut-outs, believe it or not), I saw it. Something that brought me back to the Fourth Grade (and yes, I had a happy fourth grade)!

Photo Courtesy of Amazon

A Wood Burner! And if you didn't get to make a cool state book with wooden binding, then you were robbed of a childhood of awesomeness. No, really, how many of you got to sit outside with 25 of your classmates at 10 years old with a tool that could literally burn your fingerprints off - no, I don't know anyone who tried that, ew.

It was on sale for the same cost of a roll of vinyl - $10. And suddenly, I knew what I was going to do today. (Hey, where's Perry?)

I took my findings home with me and immediately cut the board to 26 inches long. I pulled out my router table and smiled at the beautiful rounded edges it created. Well, I smiled inwardly, because seriously, sawdust tastes nasty. It smells marvelous, like Christmas, but it tastes nothing like Christmas. I promise.

Then, I put my boards in the house and set them on the counter, where they stared at me, wondering how they were going to get beautiful lettering on them by me. My handwriting is terrible. You could decipher more from chicken scratch (no, seriously ... when I date my husband, and we talk book ideas, I scribble them on napkins. When I get home, I usually have to bring the napkin to him, point to the random pen markings and beg him to translate what we were talking about ... terrible handwriting). The boards were a little nervous. I could sense it.

So, I went to my friend, Pinterest (we're tight), and she didn't help much (gasp!).  So, I left it alone for a bit - I still had two months before Christmas. I was good.

And, then suddenly it was one month before Christmas and I remembered that I don't live an hour away from these ladies anymore. I have to actually ship them their presents! Ack!

I knew I had to get pretty print on the board so I could trace it with my wood burner. But how ... Then, I remembered a neat trick I had learned at a church craft activity. Wax Paper! (yes, that's all over pinterest now, but it wasn't then).

Here's the trick (sorry, no pics):
1) Find your pretty font, type what you want it to say and enlarge it to the size you need it for the sign you're making. I wanted it to say my last name, then Birthdays (really big) and then abbreviated month names. Make sure you have the right length and height for your wording to fit on the board.

2) Inevitably, your board is bigger than your printer will print. Once you have the right sizing and lettering, crop bits of the image and print the cropped bits, one at a time. Much easier to negotiate with later, I promise.

3) Print the words BACKWARDS!!! No, I don't mean stand with your back facing your computer and hit print. I mean, tell the printer to print it backwards. Sometimes your software will call it "transfer/iron on" etc. Or it won't. But, this is necessary. Look for it and use it.

4) But HOW do you print and on what?  OK, here's the trick (sorry, I guess I lied back there). Take wax paper (yes, you can use freezer wax, I'm told, but really ... why?). Cut it to fit the size of some heavy-duty cardstock, with just a little bit hanging out over the length. Lay the wax paper over the cardstock, fold the hangover under the edges (you know, the 8 1/2" edges, not the 11 1/2" edges) and tape it from the back. Basically, you've put wax paper over cardstock. Feed that through your printer and VOILA! You have smudge-able, thus transferable text.

And, because it's transferable, don't let it fold in on itself or get your clothes or anything, because it will transfer itself to anything. It's friendly like that. Carry it gingerly away from the printer. Probably best to do this at night, after the littleuns are in bed, because a toddler running toward you is not the happiest sight when you're carrying this floppy creation.

So, once you're printed a bit out, carefully untape the wax from the cardstock (so you can see where it will fit nicely on your board). Flip it over (inky side down) and carefully position it ABOVE the board. Then, lay it flat on the board and rub the back (non-inky side) with a spoon until your arm falls off. No, I just panic that it won't work, so I really rub a long time. It doesn't actually take long at all. Lift up the wax paper carefully (remember it smudgs) and VOILA! you now have text on your board! Don't touch it though, it may not (probably not) be dry and will smudge still.

Now, you might be able to leave it like that, but I don't know how to set the ink. You'd have to talk to your friend Pinterest about that. I had decided to burn the wood. But, wood it work? Dunh Dunh Dunh

Check back for Part Two of the Birthday Board Saga ... the Burning of the Board or the grand finale of Part Three ... Making a Name for It.