Labor of Love Letters

Months ago I got an email from some children's online company and while browsing through I saw Dr. Seuss letters in frames that you can hang on the wall and I thought it was a really cute way to place a kids name on the wall, however I knew that the nursery was not going to have a Dr. Seuss theme...the search BEGAN...

The nursery has developed into a soft, feminine, French-esque look and feel... damask patterns and colors of ivory, grey and pale pink.  The bedding that inspired it all I found on Carousel Designs, http://www.babybedding.com/paris-script-crib-bedding. 

So I was at Marshall's one day pretty much after we knew it was a girl and the name was decided and I came across four frames that had a cool damask scroll engraved pattern on them but the issue was two were ivory and two were grey, not a HUGE deal but I like coordination.  I couldn't pass the frames up so I bought them!

After a few weeks of looking around a little more (which to me means checking every Marshall's,  Ross, and Home Goods etc in the vicinity of 25 miles around me) I hadn't found four that all matched or a style that I liked any better.  As I thought and thought I figured a little spray paint might do the trick, since I DID want to incorporate pink accents on the walls and in the decor anyways.  Off to Home Depot I went, pick up a can of pale pink spray paint and home I went to start this project. 

I sprayed the frames to all coordinate, they are not 100% matching since they were different base colors to begin with but it was definitely going to work.

Next project was getting the letters inside the frame...I toted over to Michael's and picked up the wood block letters in 4x6 size.  After raiding the paper section I found the perfect grey damask pattern to use for the letters.  I got home traced the letters on the paper and cut away. I glued them to an ivory backing and that step was done!

The project was coming together BUT how was I going to hang them.  Did I mention yet there was not hooks on the back??  Nope, these frames were only the stand up ones...what to do!!

I did some research online and came across the creative and cute way to hang them by ribbon BUT what kind of "hook" would I use to attach the ribbon to the wall without it being a boring nail or screw.  Back to the Internet research I went and found this brilliant resolution of hanging them from decorative drawer knobs in the wall.  Here is the site in case you want to attempt sometime, http://www.simplymodernmom.com/2010/01/diy-mounting-knobs-on-walls/, it actually wasn't that hard to do, PHEW!

Ok so now we were 75% there, I glue gunned the ribbon to the back of the frames and that is some strong glue to hold that ribbon to the heavy frames.  Where was I going to find cute knobs that worked with the theme of the room??? Checked Home Depot, blech-boring, Lowes-even worse, online-some cute stuff but I didn't have patience to wait for something to come in the mail.  I went to Urban Outfitters and BAM there was four clear glass flower-ish knobs that would TOTALLY work and only $4 each (even better price than the ones I saw at other places that weren't as nice).  I have learned my lesson to buy something when I see it bcs. it might not be there when  I go back.  Later that day I happened to be by Anthropologie and checked in there and found THE MOST PERFECT ONES....BUT they were $16 each :O  They were rhinestone flower pattern (not going to dwell, they were beautiful but as Tim reminded me I wouldn't spend $64 on so many things was I really going to spend it on something to hang $8 frames from??).  I left them there and went home to my ones I had bought already and the measuring began for the hanging.

Everything was going flawless until we realized that the knob placement for the "R" was going into a wood beam and as timing would have it the electric drill battery died, UGHHHHHH, we were almost there, my like 3 month project was finally coming to life and came to a screeching halt.  I couldn't resist I hung the A, Y and A, while we waited for the drill to charge.  It actually wasn't until the next day that we FINALLY got the R hung and I couldn't be happier with the result. Who knows how much my $7.99 frames ended up costing at the end of this project, but I love them and think they are a perfect addition above the changing table!