Boy Scout Log Painting DIY

Thursday, November 29, 2012

I made these little log pictures as a gift for my son. His room has an outdoorsy theme, so I figured the boy scouts look would fit right in.

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The designs are loosely based on the the merit badges from the official Boy Scouts site. I chose Forestry, Astronomy and Canoeing as the three themes that I would use when designing the pictures. I wanted the designs to be simple yet meaningful. We spend a lot of time in the out-of-doors, and these are three subjects that I can't wait to explore more with my son. We've already watched the Perseid meteor shower together, hiked through many-a-forest and sailed across the water in our kayaks, so these insignias hold a special connection for us.


LogSupplies


Supplies

1. Three raw slabs of wood. I happened to find these fine specimens at the thrift store for $0.50, but you could easily make your own with a thick branch, saw, and sandpaper.
2. Acrylic paints
3. Paintbrush
4. Frame hangers

Directions

1. Sketch out your designs first. It's easier to transfer a sketch to the wood when you finally find a look you like. It may take a few tries to get there.


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2. Pencil the design on the wood and paint inside the lines as desired.

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ThreeLogs


4. I used the same color scheme across all three pictures to keep the look color-coordinated and to make them match his room.

LogPalette


5. Meanwhile, if you have an extra paintbrush and painting surface, get your child involved too. Mine wanted to paint too, so I handed him my notebook and let him explore his abstract side.

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6. Hammer the frame hangers into the back and hang as desired. If you're hanging these in a sunny room, you might want to add a layer of finish over the top to help prevent the paint from fading.

I hope to do some more experiments with log slabs in the future. Maybe even use some leftover chalkboard paint that I have. We shall see. I really like having a few raw wood accents here and there in my home. They have a natural and raw aura about them without getting too woodsy and country for my taste.

Finger Bouquets Addiction

Friday, November 2, 2012

This summer, finger bouquets became my new favorite hobby. As we move into colder weather, I might have to start making leaf and acorn bouquets and then pine needle bouquets. Who knows? Until then, I'm still in love with this simple happiness habit.

I ask again, why would you walk around empty-handed, when you can walk around with fragrant flowers in your hand? Duh!

Backyard finger bouquet, Finger Bouquet, Pinch Bouquet


Backyard Pinch Bouquet, Finger Bouquet
Pretty little flowers (don't tell them they're weeds; they don't know that) growing in my backyard lawn.

Lunch Break Finger Bouquet, Finger bouquet 8/17/12

I usually take a walk past some railroad tracks on my lunch break where there is plenty of wild flora to arrange in your fingers. This one made it back to my desk and into a cup of water.

Apparently yellow and white varieties are popular in Wisconsin.

My whole life's ambition is to make each day a little lovelier. There really are easy things that you can do every single day to brighten your spirits and sprinkle in some special-ness. Finger bouquets are one of my favorite ways to gather beauty and visual gold out of the cracks. Flower collecting is a much better habit to be into than crack numbering, don't you agree? Train your mind to see the flowers, not the junk in the cracks.

Cool, huh? You should try it.