Be Awesome Today (DIY Sign)
At the beginning of the calendar year, I set a semi-small goal for myself: be more crafty. For me, craftiness helps me relax and let out the creative juices that are usually bubbling over but have no where to go. I’ve been making cards, painting canvases, and more. Our stairwell was (finally!) stripped of wall paper and painted, so it’s really bare right now. I love it looking so clean, but there’s an overhang that was just begging for something. You know – like in the locker room as the players leave to play? I told Math Man that I should make something to go there. Tell the kids to remember how awesome they are. Being the coach he is, he suggested, “Be Awesome Today,” and I loved it!
Planning!
Making it wasn’t going to be difficult. We have so much left over wood from the Clubhouse Math Man built last summer that I assumed I could simply use one of the pieces. I’d already gone all over the craft store world to find something, but it was all too expensive considering I had stuff in the shed outside.
The two littles and I ventured out to the shed one day amidst tons of questions about “why are we out here!?” to simply find one board that I eyed and assumed would fit in the spot on the overhang.
Bonus for me: I was right! It was a perfect fit and probably better than any fit I would have found with something that would have cost a heck of a lot more just for being “new.”
Crafting!
My first step was to spray paint it the color I wanted the words to be. Handy me, I had red spray paint out in the carport room, so I used it! I laid it in the grass, on top of a brown paper bag, and went for it. Granted, I didn’t try too hard to make it perfect since the goal was for the sign to look worn.
Next, after I let the paint dry, I placed stickers on the board. It took me a while to get the spacing correct, and I was once again met with a ton of questions from the littles. They couldn’t understand why I needed an S there or a W there. I took the opportunity for a short language and spelling lesson.
After the stickers were placed in the right spots, we headed back outside for me to cover with white spray paint (which I also had outside! Yay!). Again, I didn’t try too hard to make things perfect.
After just a few minutes to dry, I removed the stickers. I did that pretty quickly because I didn’t want the chance of the stickers staying permanently with the bond of the spray paint. I wasn’t sure, so I went for it. It turned out fine.
The last step was to figure out how to hang the sign. I went back into the carport room and scrummaged (that’s a word) through Math Man’s variety of screws, nails, and other odds and ends. I found two eye hooks. That made for an easy hanger, and although I thought I was going to ask for help, I was able to do it myself!
Finished Product!
And here it is, finally hanging over the stairs. I’ve come down a couple of times since I hung it up, and it’s having the exact effect I hoped it would — on me at least. As the kiddos continue to learn to read (only 2/4 can right now), I want this to be a mantra they repeat to themselves daily. (Ignore the awkward paint splotches and shadow in the picture! You love me.)
What mantra do you have for yourself or hope your kids will have?
