Are you looking for the perfect end of the year teacher gift? Well, this might be it!
I showed you the video on how to make this sweet little clothespin photo board but I really feel like it got lost in the mix. It was shared at the same time as a how-to-distress-furniture video and everyone always knows in the battle of whitewashing vs distressing….Joanna Gaines always wins.
So I am back with this photo board and telling you that if you attach a picture of your kid, a thank you note and a gift card, your kid’s teacher will forget all those moments of unruly behavior and late attendance and you will be remembered as the parent of the year #agirlcanwish
If you can’t watch the video, here is the play by play. You will need a 1×8 board and cut it to your preferred length. Sand the edges and front. Then apply your favorite stain. I used Varathane Vintage Aqua. Apply that and wipe the excess off. You can use a paint too so really the options are endless on the initial color. Then comes the white washing.
This method is a stain white wash – I have showed you how to do a paint white wash before (SEE THIS POST) but this stain version is EASIER. There is no mixing or measuring. Just use your rag or brush to apply a generous coat of Antique White stain (I used the Varathane brand again) over the dried base stain and wiped off the excess. See the difference below in the right version and the center version?
Your board is practically dry when you are done wiping….but you still need to finish it off with poly. I used Rust-Oleum Crystal Clear Polyurethane….it doesn’t yellow like a traditional poly and ruin your entire project. There is nothing worse than seeing something yellow when it should be white. So says the woman who cleans bathrooms after boys 🙂
Attaching the clothes pins is easy. Get them all ready. Then set with a hot glue gun. And go! Fun fact – during the filming of the videos, the crew made fun of my hot glue gun. I mean…yes it’s old and crusty and has some moss debri hanging off it. But all the best people are exactly like that. I’m sure of it.
To hang, you can add a couple D hooks on the back. You can also use those velcro strips. Easy peasy.
And you are done! Now go make seven of these and claim your title as Parent of the Year. May the odds be ever in your favor.
That is so totally cute! I love it! On a completely unrelated note, can you please tell us about that rug? I think it would be perfect for my 6 year old daughter’s room. ONE BIG THANK YOU!
This project looks fun – but the photos are too blown out to see the details, especially the photo after Will. The Will photo is properly exposed for his face, but the following one looks like the same exposure, and the details are lost. At first I thought it was just my iphone, but when I pulled up your site on my calibrated monitor, it looks the same. If I remember right, you’re using a laptop? Perhaps your screen brightness is too low, causing you to overcompensate in exposure? Some do this automatically when on battery power as well.
I think you mentioned you’re not doing photography anymore (who can blame you, you’ve got a lot on your plate!) but as a professional photographer, Ask Damien’s instructions for calibrating are my fav! http://www.damiensymonds.net/calibration.html
Cute project! I’ll let you in on a teacher secret though- these type of cute gifts pile up over the years and we can’t use them all (or they don’t match our taste). The best gift is a heartfelt note and the gift card doesn’t hurt either 🙂
It’s a kitchen rug from Target! Isn’t it cute?!
xo – kb
Very cute!! I just might have to do this for my daughter’s teachers this year…
Thanks Lauren. They were lousy iPhone photos that were used in a rush (we were filming) so I do think there is that problem….but I also think my calibrating is off. I’ve noticed that in my prints 🙁
xo – kb
It’s adorable. Thanks for replying! I feel special!
I have to question why you didn’t do something with the clothes,pins? You could have painted them to match the board, or aged them with steel wool and vinegar, or put washi tape on them..”perhaps even decoupage do strips of a photo on them…I love the idea, it just didn’t feel finished.
Aww thank you for leaving a comment 🙂
xo – kb
Yes! Do that and send me pics 🙂
xo – kb