My friend Kim at NewlyWoodwards is hosting a DIY blog party and today’s the first day!
The Mission for Monday, Nov. 16: Dare to… be thankful!
Take some time making your own DIY Thanksgiving project. It could be a fun Thanksgiving advent calendar, a banner or something completely unique. Post about what you made, how you made it and photos in its new home.
Here’s the thing about most Thanksgiving craft projects… gingham & fake flowers are not really my style. Of course there are exceptions to every rule, I think Dorothy totally rocked the blue gingham and fake flowers are a must for any theatrical production {real ones are a total no-no}. Also, our home is not big enough for crap that just sits there and I loathe dusting. Knick-knacks, bric-a-brack, doo-hickeys and other assorted thingamabobs are welcome to live elsewhere. So what’s a girl to make?
Remember how Rob & Dad A unceremoniously ripped the zip-tie-errific fence down to put in the lovely brand-y new recycled composite fence?
Seeing it cast aside, destined for a landfill made me a little sad. Obviously it couldn’t be a fence anymore but maybe it could be something else.
Thinking about Kim’s challenge, I had an idea. I percolated; how would it be made, what supplies do I need {can I do it for free}?
Being thankful isn’t a sentiment that should be reserved for one holiday a year. And it’s not about turkeys, leaves, pumpkins, or stuffing yourself silly.
We should be thankful everyday. Grateful for our family and friends. A reminder to be happy and content with what we have and significantly less concerned with what else we want.
It’s about memories; making & remembering. It’s about relationships; nurturing, repairing, & enjoying the bonds we share with family and friends.
I wanted something that would be displayed year-round as a reminder and came up with this.
This photo display is made completely out of our old fence.
A symbol that something beautiful & useful can be made from something once neglected & discarded.
Subtly burned into the wood at the bottom of the frame are the words:
“give thanks with a grateful heart”
This comes from a song we used to sing at my childhood church but I think it’s a wise sentiment to remember no matter what your religious perspectives, no matter what time of year.
I plan to use it to display things we are thankful for; pictures of family & friends the most likely candidates but I’m not limiting it to anything in particular. Once we get some walls painted, it will hang in our home. For Thanksgiving, it will reside with my parents.
{that’s my mom sitting on my Gram’s lap}
In the coming days, I’ll post a “How To” to show everyone how exactly I made it. It wasn’t hard but involved enough to necessitate a separate post.
My DIY bulldog pins are also pretty fun and super easy to make. I love that they stick into the wood but don’t harm the picture. Rearranging is incredibly easy!
{Uncle John}
Thank you Kim for putting this together!! Be sure to pop on over to NewlyWoodwards and check out everyone else’s creations!
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I’M DYING OVER THIS! You burnt a phrase in the wood????? SERIOUSLY???
I’m seriously hyperventilating. And singing the song…we used to sing it at church, too.
This is so lovely, Carrie.
You are too sweet! Thank you.
Beautiful. I can’t wait for the tutorial. I’m dying to see how the burning of the phrase went down.
I can’t wait to see your step-by-step. I love love love the look of this wood. I would be making frames galore if I had that wood at my disposal! Awesome job!
So clever! I’m with you on the Thanksgiving decor – I had trouble thinking of something I’d want around my house for more than a day. But this – brilliant!
This is such a great idea! I love that you were able to reuse material you already had. And the phrase at the bottom? Such a creative personal touch. This would make a great gift for family or friends at the holidays too.
This is gorgeous and such a great take on the challenge. Love it!
I love everything about this project!
I love it, and I must admit I am a wee bit jealous of your “extra” timber… I would love to get my hands on some old lumber for projects like this!
Ok, seriously, you win. Win what, I’m not sure but this is just amazing. It’s not only not crap that you’ll have lying around but it’s gorgeous. You should totally whip up some more with your leftover fence and sell them.
I love this project. Now I just need to find an old fence somewhere.
…and you should see how nice this stuff burns too (not to worry, there’s PLENTY left over)
Looks like Rob and I will be finishing up the backyard sooner than later so you have access to more building materials! 🙂 Beautiful work, Carrie.
this is really really neat – I love it. My favorite part are the words, what a neat touch.
LOVE this! I wish I had a fence to tear down! It turned out beautifully – want to make another one for me?
Great job!
abso-freaking-lutely amazing carrie! i love that song – how perfect.
Amazing! I want to tear down my fence and make one myself! Perhaps my old cupboard doors will find a new purpose now…
I bow to the Queen of Power tools! This is so fan-tab-u-lous!
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Fantastic idea. Very creative and thoughtful.
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