Recycled Cutting Board

The crafting/nesting bug has hit me again! I've been making lists and, thanks to my great in-laws, getting new craft supplies, and having a blast trying to make a few things. A few weeks ago I noticed that my largest wooden cuttingboard had a black spot in the middle of it--maybe mold or something. So I put it aside, thinking I could use it for something later. Then I saw a post at thenester.com about signs at dayspring that are sooo cute and decided to make my own.



First I painted the board with several coats of white paint.



Then I used my old ghetto laptop to find a font I liked and trace it off the screen. I've done this a few times, and though it takes a while--in this case a LONG while b/c I traced several fonts and sizes before finding the perfect one--it's a pretty easy and cheap way to do it. You can also just print out the words you want, but our printer is out of ink....although I did get Brian to print one thing out at work.



Turn your font over and color the back of the paper with pencil as dark as you can. Make sure to get the back of all of the letters covered well. Also, remember that if you used pencil on the front, to put it face-down on something you don't mind getting writing on b/c it will transfer.



Then I turned the paper back over and traced around the letters which transferred them onto the wood, and painted them in. Brian helped me a ton by drawing a straight line for me across the wood as a guide for the letters. He's really good at measuring and getting things level and straight, whereas I can't draw a straight line with a ruler.



This is the end result. After the blue paint dried I did the same stencil process with the scripture passage. I had planned to paint it dark brown, but there was no way I was going to be able to paint those thin letters--so I just went over it with pencil. I may change it later, I'm not sure. I think it needs to be darker. I was also thinking of antiquing the whole thing. I don't know.

I really like how it turned out. Right now I have it on my kitchen counter next to the stove in a plate holder. It may stay there, or it may go on the wall--we'll see. I have some other ideas taking shape that I'll try to post about in the next couple weeks, and I am ECSTATIC about my girls weekend with my Mom and sister in a few weeks!!! We're going to raid every thrift/junk store from Jackson to Hattiesburg and back and I know I'll have TONS of projects after that! Let's hear it for the nesting instict!!!!!