'Wood' You Marry Me? 5 Year Anniversary Gift

On September 13, Kerry and I celebrated our five year anniversary.  I can't believe that we have been married for that long !  We actually aren't big gift givers for our anniversaries and we usually try to take a trip to celebrate.  In the past years, we've gone to Arizona, Tennessee, Colorado, and this year we went the Lone Star State - Texas !

So, the suggested gifts for five years is wood or silverware.  We really don't need any silverware and I couldn't think of any furniture needs either.  But while I was in Texas, I did some shopping and spotted a block of wood with some twine that was used as a picture "frame."  I figured, why buy it when I can make it, DIY style.

Materials:

• 8X8 wood block canvas (got mine at Michael's)
• Brown paint
• Modge Podge
• Thick twine or hemp cording

Tools:

• Paint brush
• Staple gun
• Glue gun and stick
• Hand sander (or a piece of sand paper)

First, I painted the front, four sides, and part of the back of the wood canvas.  Once it was dry, I put a very light coat of Modge Podge just to seal it and give it a little gloss.  The bottle looks like it is from the 60s (I've actually had it since 2000 and it is just about done) !

Once it was fully dry again, I took a little hand sander and sanded the edges to rub off some paint.  I also did the corners a bit to "round" them.  This gave it a little rustic/worn look to it.  Ok - so the picture is taken inside, but I definitely didn't sand it inside, otherwise my next picture would have been of me vacuuming the floor.

After that, I took the cording and stapled one end to the back, then wrapped it around about five times.  I stapled it once while I was wrapping, then again at the end to keep it tight.  Then I used some extra cording, tied a bow, and hot glued the bow to the cording.  DONE!  So simple and cute.

I found a nice picture of the two of us from a winery last year and popped it in there.  

I love it !  I couldn't wait to give it to Kerry.  I had to go over to my neighbor's house to show her, otherwise I would have given it to Kerry a couple days early…I ruin surprises because I get too excited about them.

This was such a quick and simple project.  You could use any color paint and probably even put in a 5 x 7 picture as well.  Love it !  And so did Kerry.  It is in his office as I write this.

What else have you used as a frame for a picture?

Now you can Do It Yourself Too !

~Stephanie