Livening Up My Laundry Room

 This little project has been long time due. I purchased this vinyl from Pick Your Plum, oh, about a year ago. I bought TWO, actually. I usually do- just in case I mess up, I need a gift, I come up with a super-duper double idea...you know what I'm saying, I'm sure.

SO, unlike Artsy-Fartsy Mama, my vinyl was black to start with. I had these cute plaques already cut for me...they had a white laminate on them...so I worked with what I had. I first applied the {black} vinyl. Then I sprayed them with Krylon primer. Then when that dried {I think...I get kind of impatient.} I spray painted them with color. I used Valspar colors...if you are interested, let me know and I can get you exact colors.

I let those dry....more or less....and then I OH, SO CAREFULLY {you probably don't need to be soo careful if you let them dry properly} peeled the vinyl away from the plaque showing the white that I started with.

I did this thee times...one with each of the colors and plaques...to get this:

Then I had to hang them. I KNOW I pinned a pin SOMEWHERE about using soda pop tabs as hanging gear...or whatever the proper term SHOULD be. I just so happened to have hung on to a tab or three from a lunch this last week. {Not all mine...just two. ;)} 

 I couldn't find my trusty staple gun so I pulled out my next best option below  the hot glue I was also out of.

I let that dry as long as I could stand {a couple of hours because I left the house}. I used regular ole nails to attach them to the wall. I particularly liked using the pop tabs because I could 'mark' the wall with them to indicate where I wanted to hammer my nails.

 I hung these at about 1 am in the morning. After finishing some shipping for the store. Interesting that only ONE person woke up...to hammering...in the house...in the middle of the night.

I now don't think dirty laundry is my most pressing of my problems. ;)

Pop over to the store to check out the cute, cute items available this week!

Or over to Mindy Mae's Market blog to see what else is ORANGE!

Nikki's Niche- Wrapping Paper Wreath...Cabochon Style!

I LOVE doing crafts will items I haven't really used...or tried to use and failed....which brings me here.

I started with some wrapping paper I purchased up at Swiss Days a couple of years ago and a wreath I started for St. Patrick's Day and never finished- and my toddler has been playing with it.

I cut strips about 3 inches wide down the length of the wrapping paper.

I folded in the side of paper to get a more "finished" look.

The I folded down the other side.

I began by gluing the first paper strip to the back of the wreath and then wrapped it around and around the form.

I started the new strips right over the top of the last strip and kept on wrapping. Until I got this:

I added cabochons. I started with some of the largest ones.

I wanted a random, colorful mix....then I used some left-over ric-rac from MMM.

Here's my bright, fun accent wreath!

Nikki's Niche-Writing on the {Bathroom} Wall!

In an attempt to organize my bathroom, I color coded my children's things. Pink, Blue, Purple, and Green now mean something more than colors...they constitute ownership in my house. We had some vinyl for sale in the store a little while back and I kept one. It was black vinyl, though. I'm kinda on a boycott from black right now...so here's my solution:

I started with some left over planks from a barn-dooresque project I'll showcase in the future. You use any type of plank, really. These were already screwed to a smaller, unifying board on one side.

I taped off the neighboring plank and started painting

 (after I measured the size of the vinyl on the boards for a stopping point).

I did the outsides first and worked my way in...

Then I sanded it to make it look a little "old".

Then hubby helped me drill screws in {it actually is nice being able to JUST take pictures...not trying to drill AND take pictures}in an un-uniform way. ;)

Then I was banned from power tools and hubby cut the planks with a jigsaw.

I instructed him to cut them uneven. ;)  I like things "imperfect".

Then we..I mean HE sanded the bottom of the sign. 

I {yes, me} then applied the vinyl to the sign. 

Then I spray painted the whole sign. I didn't completely, totally cover it with white because I wanted it to look a little worn.

After it dried a little, but not completely, I peeled the vinyl off of the sign. 

This is what it looked like..I sanded it a little bit more and was finished!

I'll show it "in it's place" soon!

Materials used: 

'Bathroom Rules' vinyl from MMM

Pink, Purple, Turquoise and Green Acrylic Paint

White Spray Paint

Hand Sander

Jigsaw

8 Screws

Drill

6 wood planks (4 for the sign, 2 for support in back)