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Double Size Double U

OUR 2nd HOUSE

It’s here!  And I’m done!  Did you guys get your Pinterest Challenge projects done?  I always feel like I’m never finished on time.  Which is bad when you promise people that your post will be up around 10am.  Is it 10am yet?!  Okay…so if you are newish or just don’t pay much attention…this is Pinterest Challenge reveal day!  The day where we come back together after a week of looking through our thousands of pins and actually get the doing done.  Then we congregate back here and share.  It’s like therapy for Pinners Anonymous. 

SOoooo….here’s my inspiration for what I wanted to tackle this time around…

Yup.  That’s one honkin’ big letter.  (and a cool light fixture but that’s beside the point).  I love love love the oversized letters you can see on wall all over the place.  It’s just a great statement…great as in extra large AND awesome.  Both definitions 🙂

Anyhoo…dictionary aside….here is my finished project:

And can you believe it cost me only $7.25?!  Seriously.  It did.  I am still kinda shocked too. 

I used pickets from Home Depot that were knocked down to $1.25 each.  So that is 6 pickets.  That’s all I had to buy because I already had everything else.  Crazy.  Why didn’t I just do this sooner!?

Once I got them home (and the boys down for a nap), I went to work on the sanding.  Since the wood is pressure treated, it’s important to take certain precautions.  Like…don’t breathe in the dust (it’s key to wear a mask!)…and make sure you seal it or paint it before using it inside your home.  OH and if you are gonna use pressure treated wood, make sure it doesn’t get wet or come in contact with food or kids (who might decide to suck on a corner of the letter just for kicks).  Since ours is a piece that will get hung very high in Weston’s room…I think we are in the clear 🙂

Okay…so sand all the sides…. 

I love sanding sometimes.  Especially when the wood becomes alive again.  It definitely happened here…

Then I wanted my angles.  So I had to mark the bottom of one board to get started….

Then I simply cut three more just like it.

This is the part where I say…you figure it out.  Obviously a letter like W is full of cuts.  I’m not gonna explain each one.  That would be ridiculously boring.

After we cut out the letter itself, we cut boards to go around it…like an outline.  Angles were everywhere 🙂

At this point, I was wishing that we named our kid Larry.  Or Tyton (that name was actually a final three name for Weston – fun fact!). 
After making each cut, you wanna make sure to sand the edges because the pickets do splinter badly.

The original plan was to add lights.  Like a marquee sign. 

But once I marked the places for drilling and really thought about it, I got this sick dread in my stomach and knew that these extra cafe lights would need to find a different home.  There was just no way I wanted to drill holes into my over-sized consonant.

When it came time to assemble, we used a bit of wood glue and some brads. 

We nailed it all together in sections…each long piece in the center was boosted up with scrap 2×4’s so it got a really cool 3D effect. (see the marks where we were gonna put the lights?  whew!  So glad I didn’t go through with it!) 

After it was all assembled, it came time for the finish.   

The inside of the W got two coats of this semi-gloss paint ‘n primer in one.  It’s actually an exterior paint called DuraMax by Valspar and it was in my stash of extra paints (we had painted our front door this color – it’s ironically called Front Door Red).

Peeks in a red dress…every letter-lovin’-man’s dream 🙂

Then I decided to stain the outside my favorite stain color – Dark Walnut by Minwax.  I simply used a foam brush to wipe it on and a plastic-bagged hand to wipe it off.  I couldn’t find my plastic gloves 🙂

Then came sealing time.  A couple coats of this spray sealer and we were set.

After sufficient dry time, we moved it back inside and snapped a few with Weston.  This sucker is big.  Like a fortune 500 letter.  It eats vowels for breakfast.  Sorry…the cheese can not be helped.  Eventually it will go in Weston’s room….and then several years down the road, when the boys share a room, it’ll be in there for both of them.  (another fun fact…I shared a room with my sister and feel like having to share a room at some point in childhood is a great way to learn true life lessons.  Any sharers out there?!  Love it, hate it?  Kill your sibling?) 

I’m really excited to have this project done.  Those angles were a test of patience.  But I have big plans for Weston’s room and I can’t wait to see this bad boy hanging on the wall!

Now for the fun part!  The sharing! Remember my gorg co-hosts for the challenge?

Hop on over and see their tackled projects! And now for some details before we get to see YOUR projects…Just as a reminder, Pinterest doesn’t know about this challenge (or endorse, sponsor, etc.)…they just simply supply the place for the awesome to gather.

Did you also conquer a project?  Did you blog about it?  I’d love to see it!  Here are the instructions if you are a linky-party newbie…

  • click on the blue “Add Your Link” button at the bottom of this post – it has a blue frog head on it add a link to your PC project blog post in the url field (please do not link to your home page) for “name” write a short descriptive name for your project (e.g. “Industrial Sidetable”)
  • pretty pretty please remember to link in the body of your post to the original source of the photo on Pinterest as well as back to me and this editions hosts above – it’s just a big ole fashioned linky love fest! Love you forever & thanks.
  • If you’d rather just link over to your project in the comment section, feel free to do that – or even add a link to Facebook or a free photo sharing site like Flickr with your pics if you don’t have a blog (remember to set the gallery to public so we can all see it).

That’s it!  Hope you all have an oversized fun time getting something checked off that must-do list!


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  3. Wow, I love this oversized letter! I also feel like I never finish on time…I’m always simultaneously spraypainting, taking photos, and writing up my post at the last possible second, it seems… Perhaps someday I’ll get my life together. 🙂

  4. Wow, Katie! It looks awesome! I shared a bedroom and bathroom with my younger brother when I was 8. Lesson learned – boys are disgusting.

  5. LOVE the W! Thank you for hosting! My sister & I started a blog a few years ago where we try out different projects we’ve found on pinterest. I love finding new ideas & things to try though this challenge every season. Too bad my name starts with an S -way to many curves for me to try and create my own letter!

  6. I love it! I am amazed at the price tag too! Since I am doing nothing else until we move, this will be a project for my next house (when we have a playroom).

    P.S. Good call on not adding the lights.

    P.P.S. Weston is so awesomely precious. You guys make handsome boys!

  7. Thanks for hosting the Pinterest Challenge! It is always so much fun to see what project people have taken on! I love your huge “W” it is amazing and I am so excited to see Weston’s room!

  9. Well now you’re just perpetuating the cycle..because I’m going to Pin your great letter! I really want one to put in our backyard! I think I’ll probably put the lights in it though. Love it. And thanks for the great link party each season 🙂

  13. Katie, Thanks so much for putting this together along with your blog friends. I so needed this inspiration to get me moving again. I have just posted my denim runner constructed from recycled jeans. Links to this type of project have been in my Pinterest boards for ages and this challenge got me crafting. And looking at my boards for more ideas. First I’ll go cruise the other projects coming into the party. Love your huge W for Weston. I have a board dedicated to using letters in decor , too! Thanks again, Marji @ashbeedesign.com

  16. Oh my goodness. Love, love, love this! I might have to get my ‘E’ on – thanks for the motivation!

  17. I love the “W”!! It’s so awesome!! OK, now I want to make a giant “A” to got on my ever increasing “A” gallery wall!!!!!

    Love the Pinterest Challenges!! Thanks for hosting such a fun link-up!!

  18. The “W” is inCREDible! You are so freakin’ talented, woman! I realize this sounds like I’m shouting at you and mayyybe I am but it’s in enthusiasm (and I’ll stop now)

  20. Wow, Katie! That hunka W looks FABULOUS! Good work!
    It’s a good think you didn’t name your boys Sam and Simon, huh? 😉

  21. Katie, I am in love!!! That is too great.
    And, yes, I’m all about siblings sharing rooms. I shared a room with my sisters growing up and I loved it.

  22. Love how HUGE the letter is!

    I shared a room with my sister growing up and agree with you that many life lessons were learned! 🙂 I wouldn’t have traded those years anything!

  23. So fun! I shared a room with my sister for most of our childhood, and it was pretty awful in Jr High and High School. We just didn’t have space away from each other, and so we fought constantly. Thankfully we get along just fine now.

  26. I love it! What a good idea and I like it without the lights. I shared a bedroom with my sister for most of our childhood. For some reason I feel compelled to share this story: My family was a family that farted together. If we needed to, we just let it rip. No big deal. Of course just at home….not everywhere….yuck! So my sister was the one family member that would never partake in the family farting and discreetly kept hers to the bathroom. But I am the only family member that has ever heard her fart out loud because we shared a room and one night in her sleep she let one…..and I got to be the sole witness!!

  27. That is awesome!!! I never would have survived all of those angles, trim and 1/4 round alone usually make me want to strangle myself 🙂

    Now given your honeys affliction for heavy duty hardware, I can only imagine how he going to attach that thing to a wall! Can’t wait to see it!

  28. I LOVE how this turned out! Weston looks so excited for his new letter. I might have to convince the hubby that Hudson needs a wood letter for his big boy room. Can I just say that I am so glad we would make an H? I don’t think my math-adverse brain could have handled all of the angles for a W!!

  29. This looks so good! I think the lights would have looked nice, but I think the finished project without makes it look very elegant, like something from Pottery Barn.

    I shared a room with my sister for many years. It was a big room, but the 8 year age difference made it interesting. I do, however, think all kids should have to share a room at some point.

  32. Katie, I love this big double-u. Especially the red you used. It’s good to use what you have, especially when it is great. Your boys are so adorable, but how could they not be with the genetic material they had to work with.

    I agree with you on children sharing a room. My sister and I(4 year apart in age) shared a room until I was 15 and she left for college. I really missed her, even though it was kind of fun at that point to have a room of my own. I have many fond memories, and funny stories from our days as roomies. And we were best friends in spite of it! All of my children shared a room with a sib. My twin boys shared a room their whole life until they left for college, and my daughters shared, too, until that extra room was freed up. I think it’s a “good thing,” as Martha would say.

  33. Love it! I had to share a room with my sister growing up…right up until she cut off all my hair while I was sleeping!

  34. Katie, you are AMAZING and SO TALENTED!!!! I love the W and can’t wait to see how you incorporate this in Weston’s room!!!! I shared a room most of my life and I definitely believe you learn so many life lessons.

  35. Very cool. I was pretty darned excited to see this since my last name starts with W, but I don’t know if I have the patience to figure out all those angles. I don’t blame you for being afraid to drill the holes after all that work. 🙂

    My challenge will be late, but I plan to link up this week. xo

  36. Weston/Tyton (Tyton is a very cool name! Love it! 🙂 is ADORABLE! I can’t stop smiling at those beautiful photo’s of your little guy! 🙂

    And what a wonderful project (with a capital “W”! 🙂

    xox

  38. I love this! I’ve been considering something similar but with an “S,” our last name initial…which won’t be easy! Maybe I’ll wait and do one of our future kid’s initials!

  41. Love the W. Would have also made a cute little shelf unit (just saying).
    I shared a room with my oldest sister from before old enough to remember until I got married and moved out. Lucky to have gotten away with my life. As soon as I moved out, we were like best friends.

  42. for some reason it never occurred to me that both of your boys have W names. are you guys going to do a W theme a la the duggers!??!

  43. What a great letter! It looks fantastic. Plus if you have a little girl and name her Matilda you can reuse it hee hee hee.

    Actually I had this stalkerishly weird dream (but it was beautiful at the same time!) that you had a daughter and named her Willow.

    Seriously. It was a great dream!

    Then I woke up and was like “Kate. No one names their kids Will, Willow and Weston.”

  45. Katie,

    Well done with the W! I know it can be a tricky letter, but it’s such fun! My maiden name began with an M which meant my initials (WM) were the same right side up or upside down and I loved it! Plus there weren’t too many girls whose first name began with a W.

  47. I love everything you do, but I think I love this the most out of everything!! It’s so cool. My boys NEED these in their rooms 🙂

  48. My sister and I, then my step sister and I, then my other step sister and I shared a room. So I guess you could say I’m pretty experienced in sharing a room. Although I hated it when I got older, it totally does teach you great life lessons! My children are now sharing a room, can’t say I love it but it is teaching us all lessons.

    I love your project, Katie! It turned out so great, but I’m going to be honest here and say I think Weston really pulls in all together 😉

  49. Your “W” turned out so great! LOVE! I also love that every time you post a picture of Weston sitting up he seems so proud of himself–what a cutie!!
    My sister and I chose to share a room for a while–it was great! It meant we then got our own “dressing room” too, which was also a plus! 🙂
    Thanks so much for hosting an awesome party, Miss Katie! Hope you’re having a wonderful week!

    ~Abby =)
    #53, Seeing Stripes!

  50. I totally agree with the room sharing! I had to share a bedroom with my 2 younger brothers for a few years! We lived in a small 2 bedroom home, and my brothers and I were in the master and my parents were in the smaller bedroom. Thankfully, though, we moved when I was 12 and I got my own room. But it was pretty fun, actually!

  51. I’ve only had my own room for 6 months of my life! I shared a room my youngest bro and twin sis for a few years, then 3 sisters, them my twin sister. When we went to college we shared a dorm room, then we moved into a house together and had our own rooms, but spent most nights together asleep in the livingroom! Then, after 6 months of that, got married and had to share my room again!:). Now we have 2 boys (2 and 4)and have plenty of room for them to have their own rooms, but they have shared since last summer and wouldn’t have it any other way!!!

  53. Girl! You are so inspiring! Never would have thought to use pickets for wood, genius!
    FYI (in case you didn’t know) you are the best late night blog (along with YHL – of course) for writing papers, cleaning kitchens, infusion highs etc. Your successes and hardships are my inspiration to keep going through every treatment, paper, job hunt etc. Man- I just want to own a house so I can rip it apart!!

  56. gahhh Weston is just the cutest! Seriously, I almost didn’t see the W! Can’t wait to see it in his room.

    I shared a room with my sister (5 years younger) till I was in high school. It was fine when I was little (I was scared of sleeping by myself) but I didn’t care for it afterwards. I hated my sister’s guts and there was no bonding/staying up late/secret sharing going on. But that might just have been the age difference, who knows! I have b/g twins and they will likely share a room for at least a few years.

  62. I adore the giant letter you did and can’t believe it was so cheap! My girls share a room and so far so good, the test will be when they get a bit older!

  64. Funny, I was reading this and was like, that sounds oddly similar to my story! And then I realized…..you’re my twin sister! Doi! It’s me, Karla Sue! haha oh the randomness!

  65. Just wanted to say thanks for creating and hosting the Pinterest Challenge! It’s been fun to participate these last couple years, and even more fun looking through all the great projects submitted by everyone. I’ve found a lot of new blogs to follow, and a bunch of projects to try for myself!

  68. I love this! Now I wish my youngest daughter’s name didn’t start with a J, there must be a way to make a giant J, somehow?? My oldest starts with L but if one has something, so must the other. They share a room and they seem to like it but they are only 4 and 6 (16 months apart) so we’ll see how that goes as they grow.

    P.S. Wasn’t Tyton the name of the redheaded villain in Megamind? It is a cute name thought :).

  70. Couldn’t a J be made with the bottom like the bottom of a hexagon? \_/ but wider.

  73. This turned out SO AWESOME. I love it. Love it Did I mention I love it?

    And I think I can speak from experience when I say you should be glad you didn’t add the lights. I’ve been making small marquis letters with lights for Henry’s birthday party and it’s nearly killed me dead. The front and back don’t stay together well, I’ve broken so much glass and I electrocuted myself.

    I’m feeling tingly just thinking about it. And not a good tingly.

  74. What a fun project, K! However, that chubby, happy baby steals the show in the first photo. So dreamy.

    If you don’t mind me asking, what kind of hand sander do you guys use? I have a few pieces of furniture I’d like to paint and I’m wondering if it’s worth investing in one.

    Thanks! xo

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