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Ahhh, February. The time of year when the winter blues really start to kick in for those that are turtleneck deep in the chilliest season of the year. The excitement of the new year has officially worn off, and there have been just enough warm days to really tease us, all the while making us wait at least another two or three months until temperatures are truly enjoyable. If you recall from a few posts back, I’m a born and raised Midwesterner, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. But let’s be honest, part of the fun of living in the Midwest is getting to complain about how much we hate the winters around here. You know what they say, though- if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.
So join them we do, and as cold as our toes are during the bleak winter months, the beauty and sense of adventure that can be found in winter in the Midwest is really something special. Our family likes to take advantage of winter in the Northwoods of Wisconsin whenever we can. This past weekend being President’s weekend, we found ourselves lucky enough to be up there once again. We particularly enjoy skiing and snowmobiling while we are up north, and there’s something about being in a cabin in the north woods that gives you all the warm feelings you need. Not to mention that toddlers in snowmobile helmets might just be the funniest thing that anyone in the history of time has ever seen.
Cabin life can also leave you with lots of free time, and one particular visit to the Northwoods left me with just that. Now if you have read any of the previous posts, you know my magnetic draw to DIY in times of boredom by now. This particular DIY is really more of a craft project that involves the showcasing of pictures. In this case, incredibly old and special photos particular to the cabin were the main characters. I very easily could have just bought some cool frames for said pictures and called it a day, but that wouldn’t be very Miss Lizzy of me, now would it?
The Project
Picture plaques, if you will. I decided to take a trip to the craft section of the local store near the cabin and found these awesome wood plaques. Super cabin-esque, no? I also found some Mod Podge, which, by the way, seriously brings me back to my youth. I feel like Mod Podge has really flown under the radar in recent years, but let’s not forget about this super sticky, super useful substance. It's great for all kinds of craft projects, and in this case- great for taking a picture ledge to the next level. That picture ledge, by the way? You guessed it. That’s DIY, but that one was all my husband. I asked him to make me a shelf, and he engineered that bad boy right up. What a guy.
The Details
Supplies:
Pictures
Wood plaque or canvas
Mod Podge
Acrylic paint of your choosing
If you find yourself DIY challenged, and even if chalk paint seems a bit too much for you to take on, Mod Podge is seriously a great place to start. It’s basically just glue, people. It comes in different “finishes” though, so in this case, a matte finish worked great. After I painted the plaque and let it dry, I brushed a little Mod Podge on to the back of the pictures, and then added another 2-3 coats over the whole plaque (pictures included). It serves a couple of purposes- the first obviously being adhesive. It also makes it look like the pictures are kind of embedded in the wood itself. Boom. A picture display with a little oomph. There is also a really great tutorial about it here, so check that out too! But really, this is a DIY that’s literally a half hour project and can be enjoyed for way longer than that. So get crafty!