I was not even about to consider shelling out over $100 for a set of table numbers though, no sirree. A few weeks back I was constantly emailing my mom photos of table numbers that I liked, then whining about how much they cost. I finally proclaimed I was going to DIY, I didn't even care if they turned out bad. I simply refused to spend so much money on nice table numbers when I could do them myself.
Little did I know it was going to take me weeks to perfect this project. I tried every method, style, color, shape and size that I could get my hands on. Now, I could show you all my trials and errors...but really, it's a boring story. The fact of the matter is that it didn't work. I am just going to show you what DID work, because that's all that really matters here.
I decided that I wanted to do a picture frame/3D type table number. Something that will be easy to see, but also easy on the eyes. There was no way I was going to spend a ton of money though on picture frames that I was going to end up painting. That's why I went to the $1 store and bought frames in an excess amount.
If I had my choice, I would have preferred pretty white wooden frames. That would have made it much easier to paint instead of this dark metal junk. My options were limited though considering I was at the $1 store and was able to buy 12 frames for $12! (Yup, i'm obviously a math whiz.)
This means the first thing I needed to do was spray paint them white.When you prep these frames for painting, the white spray paint does not need to be perfect. Basically you just need spray them to lighten up the dark color, and create a flat finish. Make sure before spraying to take out the insert and glass. All you want is just the frame part.
The paint that I used for this project was just basic acrylic paint found at any craft store. I also bought a primer to mix in with the paint to make it stick nicely to the wood surface.
I used a small paint brush for the numbers because it was easier to get into all of the nooks and crannies.
For this type of project, a lot of people choose to use fabric in the frame. Instead I decided to use burlap. You need to cut out a square just a little larger than the inside of the frame and big enough so that it can be doubled. If you don't double it then you can see the cardboard through the holes in the burlap.
Then you need to fold it in half and glue it together. If you don't glue it together then the fabric will bunch pretty badly once it is in the frame. Next you will want to glue it straight onto the cardboard frame insert. There will be some overlay so you will want to trim that off.
By this point the frame should be dry and you can paint it with whatever color you like. In my case, I used a sage green color. I mixed one part primer with one part acrylic paint and did two coats. Considering I am super impatient, I decided to whip out my blow dryer in hopes it might speed up the drying process. It worked like a charm! Seriously, it dried in about two minutes.
Although might I suggest removing the frame from the plastic drop cloth? I have no idea why I thought it was okay to blow dry plastic. My warped bridal brain resulted in melted plastic on my table. But hey, the frame dried quickly and that's all I really cared about. I'll be picking dried plastic off my table for the new few months, but whatever.
Now we all know that no project is complete with out a little glitter. I introduce to you the greatest thing since sliced bread.
I just about shed a joyful tear when I discovered this stuff. I have tried other glitter products and NOTHING compares to this. It sprays pure glitter evenly and there is no glue involved. Just finish it off with a little clear sealer and you are good to go! (Just for reference, they do have many other colors. Diamond Dust is pure glitter and doesn't cover the color of your project.)
My advice when spraying Glitter Blast is to make sure and shake the can very well for at least two minutes, and spray many thin coats. It will dry funny if you only do one heavy coat. Also make sure to not spray the sealant until the glitter blast is completely dry.
Once everything is dry, gather up your pieces and start gluing them together.
Here is the finished product in all of its glittery-burlap goodness!
Now all I have to do is make a ton more of these. That's okay though because I was able to make them exactly how I wanted, and for an affordable price.
What do you think of my table number project? How do you plan on numbering your tables?
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