When we first moved in, my daughter needed a new bed frame. So I dismantled her old IKEA bed and saved some of the pine wood slats. Back in July I used some of the wood and created some Shelves for our kitchen. Today I created some art with six more of the boards.

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I removed the fabric and staples that was holding the slats together. Then I gave the wood a quick sanding to remove the varnish and grey marks from the old metal frame. I bought a 1×2 pine board, cut out a couple pieces for each sign. Then I screwed them in the back to hold the boards together.

I coated the wood with white paint. I also blended some blue and sliver to make it look like ice. My daughter found a nice font online that looked like handwriting. So I wrote out “Merry Christmas” in German and Czech. I used our old projector and traced the image out.

Afterwards I painted the letters with the blue metallic paint. Once this paint dries, I’ll finish the signs with some more art in the blank spaces. So far I’m really happy with the results, but it’s getting late. As well, I still have six more wooden boards that I could use for future projects.

I’d like to think that by up-cycling I have gone back to my family roots. As well- writing in Eastern European adds to the homage and traditions my wife and I wish to share with our kids.

Do you ever up-cycle to create art?

Veselé Vánoce! Frohe Weihnachten!