For quite some time now I have been wanting to find a proper home for my race ribs and medals. Over the past two years my bibs have been tacked onto our kitchen bulletin board and my medals have overtaken all three of our key hooks. I asked my hubby for a medal holder from Etsy for Christmas, but when it came time to actually pick one, I decided it would be cheaper to make my own. I also thought that a medal/bib holder would be a great gift and motivator for two of my friends who have joined the half marathon band-wagon and are flying thousands of miles to join me for our second half marathon as a group--this time the Tinkerbell Half Marathon at Disneyland.
Supply List (Items found at Michael's and Home Depot):
Wood Plaque $
Acrylic Paint $1.39
Picture Hangers (pack of 3) $1.99
Square Bend Hooks #108 (pack of 3) $1.18 x2
Square Bend Hooks #112 (pack of 3) $1.18 x4--->this number can differ depending on how many hooks you want or need
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Total Cost: $20+tax. (Most Etsy holders go for $40 and up!)
Other supplies already on hand:
Foam brush
Modge Podge
Cricut vinyl with transfer tape
Hammer
Drill
Pencil, ruler, measuring tape
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| I bought two sizes of square bend hooks--I couldn't find the measurements for the hooks, but #108 were the larger hooks, and #112 were the smallest hooks. FYI-you'll find these in the section where cup hooks are located too. |
Steps:
1. Paint board with acrylic paint in the color of your choice. I went with teal (of course), and my friends chose to have holders in the colors of their race fairy costumes. Each plaque only needed two coats. Let dry.
2. Create vinyl saying cut-out using Cricut machine. My saying from Robert Frost's poem for some reason was just stuck in my head--and so far no other medal holder I've seen has used it! I played with different fonts for each of the 3 sayings. If you don't have a Cricut machine you can easily use stencils and acrylic paint in another color or even sticker letters. Apply vinyl saying using transfer tape.
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| Eyeballing where to place my saying before taking the plunge... |
3. Mark holes for bibs and for medals. For my bibs I created two sets of holes, since my bibs come in two different sizes. I used the holes from an actual bib to mark onto the wood where the hooks would go. To mark where the medal hooks go I had to use my ruler multiple times to make sure the holes were evenly spaced and straight. I created 11 holes for my holder, and 5 holes for my friends' holders.
4. Use drill to create holes for the hook screws (super easy once I got over my fear of this power tool!).
5. Apply a layer of Modge Podge over entire plaque and let dry. I've never used vinyl before on wood, so I just wanted to make sure the letters never come off. I also liked the little bit of shine Modge Podge gives, since the acrylic paint had no shine--even though it said "Satin Finish."
6. Screw in hooks manually.
7. Flip plaque over and nail in picture hangers. I used two for each, since the medals and the plaque can get pretty heavy.
8. Hang bibs and medals. Preferably, hang plaque as well--though I still have yet to find the perfect spot for it in our house.
9. Admire, and think about the next medal which will soon be added!
Didn't these turn out great? And I know for a fact there are no others out there exactly like them!!!
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| I love how the square hooks ended up being the perfect length to hold the medals--the ribbon lays flat and isn't bunched up. |
Amazing! I think you've really outdone yourself this time :) I like it better than the ones Ken got for me on Etsy!
ReplyDeleteLove this idea!!! Definitely the best looking one I've seen!
ReplyDeleteAppreciable and informative. I visited it the very first time. And I appreciate your hard work. You can see my site if you want to find more on Bib Holder. Bib Holder clips are used to keep the protective bib in place over a patient's neck and chest.
ReplyDelete