Family Rules Canvas

It's DIY DAY at A Soft Place to Land!! I'm all linked up! Stop at Kimba's to check out all the other DIY fabulousness! It is also TRANSFORMATION THURSDAY at "The Shabby Chic Cottage" As my readers know, I've been participating in the 10 Tasks in 10 Days challenge there, so I will be posting a full update on that later, but ONE of my tasks was this. My Family Rules Canvas. So I'm also linking up for Transformation Thursday!

While browsing some of my fave blogs awhile back, I came across the most FANTASTIC idea at "The Pleated Poppy". She created a great big canvas displaying their family rules. I knew immediately that I had to do it!

I had a big 16x20 frame to fill, so instead of buying a gallery wrapped canvas like I think she used, I used canvas covered boards ($8 something for a three pack at Walmart).

Here's the skinny on how I did it...
1. I painted the entire canvas with a pretty turquoise-y blue acrylic paint. I let it dry...then I painted it again. I was planning to leave spaces between my rules, so I painted the entire thing.

2. I don't have fancy scissors, so I used a paper cutter and cut different width strips of paper that suited my fancy.

3. Then using a white or black fine point paint marker (depending on the color of the paper), I wrote OUR family rules. Earlier that day, I had found some fonts I liked, downloaded them, and made myself a "cheat sheet" of sorts. I typed out all the rules in different fonts. Then I used that to look at while I hand-wrote the rules...made it much easier to "free-hand" having the inspiration right in front of me.

4. Then, I decided how I wanted them arranged, and went to town with some Mod Podge. I used Mod Podge (matte finish) as both my glue and a sealant. When my kids are a little older and it's time to change up the rules, I think I will try using spray adhesive to glue the rules down and then just use the Mod Podge as a sealant. I've used Mod Podge a lot in my life, and I was using thin layers, but the paper had a severe tendancy to ripple...badly. I pulled a few off and redid them actually. Oh...and as I mentioned, I intended to leave spaces in between. I kind of just winged-it...there are some spaces, but I they're not al the same. I'm happy with the imperfect-ness of it...that's very much US.

5. After my sealant was all dried, I popped this baby in a frame and on the wall she went.

LOVE it!


A closer view of the rules...


Our rules (some of them borrowed, some not) are:
1. Always Tell the Truth
2. Ask First and Use Your Manners (Yes Please and No, Thank You)
3. Keep Your Promises.
4. No fussing, No whining, No complaining
5. Hands to yourself unless you're high-fiving or hugging.
6. Be Creative at all times.
7. Allow People their Privacy and show respect!
8. Use Nice Words
9. Tummy to the Table and Hands to yourself. Chew with your mouth closed and Swallow before you Speak.
10. Don't forget to say "I Love You"
11. Inside: No running and use inside voices.
12. Be a Good Brother

And, just for fun...our poochers, lookin' good. Love these fluffy guys. :)


Don't forget to check out Kimba's and "The Shabby Chic Cottage"!