Sunday, July 8, 2012

Paint Chip Calendar

I've been looking for different DIY calendar ideas - to help keep my family on track for appointments, etc.  Looking at my Pinterest boards (here,here and here) , there were quite a few "paint chip calendars".  So, I decided to try my hand at one.


I scoured the house for a suitably sized frame, but couldn't find one that had the right feel for my kitchen. So off to Hobby Lobby I went! (Any excuse is a good one...)


Going to our Hobby Lobby isn't a simple out-n-back.  It's 50 miles away... but so worth the drive.  Trying to avoid large crowds, I went early. Since I hadn't been there in a while and I was ALL BY MYSELF, I took the time to slowly shop the store. PAY OFF - on the clearance aisle, I found these beautiful frames for $8.00 - marked down from $39.99! Yes, I bought four...they're gorgeous and if I can't find a use for them, my hubby will use them to frame his photography. Happy girl...


The frame was a little dark for the kitchen, so it got a coat of heritage white spray paint...and some distressing on the embellished edge...and a little stain to age it.
(Sorry!  I forgot to take photos of that part!)


Next, I went through the scrapbook paper I've been hoarding collecting and found something that complemented the paint chip colors I chose. Scrapbooking adhesive worked to adhere the paper directly to the frame backing (?) - you know, the part that holds the picture and glass in place.



I had picked up the paint chips at my local hardware store - the same place I buy all my paint, rationalizing that I had spent so much on paint, they could throw in some paint chips...(rational or not?)

Figuring the necessary allowance for the frame coverage, I "eyeballed" the paint chips into place:



Because my paper was embossed and had a shiny finish, regular scrapbooking adhesive wouldn't work to adhere the paint chips. I resorted to plain ol' Elmer's glue.  It worked like a charm.
I placed the glass over the paint chips to hold them down until the glue dried and then cleaned the glass and put it all together in the frame:




Here it is, hanging on my kitchen wall just above my apron holder (you can find that tutorial here). 



14x18 frame at Hobby Lobby:  $8.00
Heritage white spray paint from my stash: $0.00
Paint chips form hardware store:  $0.00
Actually completing a project from one of my Pinterest boards:  PRICELESS!

-TracyP


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3 comments:

  1. Duck GirlJuly 8, 2012 at 7:54 PM

    That is awesome Tracy! :)

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  2. Lorri RJuly 10, 2012 at 11:09 AM

    Super Cute. Silly question, what do you use to write on the glass? A dry erase marker? I'm definitely gonna have to make one now!

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    Replies
    1. TracyPJuly 10, 2012 at 2:05 PM

      Thank you. Not a silly question. Yes, they are dry erase markers. I found a full set at Big Lots for $4.00.
      I wouldn't cut the paint chips any smaller than 2-1/2" x 2-1/2". Otherwise, they're too small to write much on them. My 14x18 frame was just big enough for that size. If I had enough space, I might go 16x20 so that each day could be just a little bigger. :)

      -TracyP

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