Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Project Time: Just in Time for Tailgating!

I made this beverage tub to use while tailgating before Bears games! It was really simple and this was one project that even my husband got excited about. I purchased a simple galvanized metal tub from Michael's crafts store, and made a paper stencil using Microsoft Word, and cut out the letters with an X-acto knife. I used masking tape to tape off the top and bottom for the Navy stripe and used a hairdryer to speed up dry-time between the 5 coats it took to cover the metal.
After it was dry, I used the stencil to paint the letters and outlined them freehand in white. To finish, after it was dry, I coated the entire painted surface (and a little off the edge) in a sealant so it won't flake or peel. If I had it to do over again, I would make the stencil out of plastic- maybe one of those thin cutting boards or one of those overhead transparencies- because the paper tended to get soggy and stick in some places. All in all it was a fun and sucessful project! Next I would like to make a preppy version of a Bears tablecloth and maybe some other tailgating accesories... let me know if you have ideas!!!

2 comments:

TCP said...

Thanks for visiting my blog..it looks like we have much in common. And, I love this idea. If you've been to Soldier Field lately, you know how desperately the tailgating scene needs to to be prep-ified!

magnoliabelle said...

Very cute tub! I love painting on metal like that. As far as preppy tailgating, I'll have to think on that...but the first thing that comes to mind is taking grosgrain ribbon in alternating colors and tying it as your border on your tablecloth. Then the ribbon on the corners can do double duty if you need to tie the cloth to the table. Can't wait to see if others have ideas!

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