4 day weekend, 3 projects, 2 canvases, 1 new vacuum

Yesterday i was a busy bee.  I even talked my husband into helping with my to do list:

 1.)  One of my great friends is getting married in June and has asked me to make her a prop for her photo booth.  I need to get this project started ASAP.  Here is a hint:

2.)  For this same friend I am making her a secret present SHHH no telling!

3.)  I need to buy a new vacuum cleaner.  The vacuum we occasionally pulled out before was an antique bagged upright.  Last week I tried to vacuum the basement and it smelled like something was on fire.  Goodbye Eureka, HELLO Hoover Wind Tunnel T-Series.  I never thought I would enjoy a vacuum, but when I pulled out the hose to attempt to dust the mantel, I watched the dust get sucked up. 

4.)  I have to use this vacuum all over my house.  We have been remodeling our basement bathroom and the contractors moved their stuff out on Friday.  Left behind is the debris that happens at any construction site, drywall dust on everything.  Including my husbands "second child" (see photo right).

He wanted to run some errands and look at new toys at Best Buy, so we came to a compromise.  If he gave me 45 minutes to work on to do item 1 and 2, while he ran the vacuum upstairs, then we could go look at new toys at Best Buy.  Come to find out, he ran the vacuum and dusted.  He enjoyed watching the dust being swept into the hose too!

5.)  Next on my to do list was a product of me having some extra time during my 45 minutes.  So I emptied my mind of a project that has been compiling in my head.  It is never quite clear when or how and idea comes but the main ingredient present is... MOTIVATION.

Let my share this tutorial for a really simple wall hanging.

Supplies for Project:

• 1 old mirror. Mine used to hang in our basement bathroom.
• 2 Art canvases - I like to have some blank ones lying around the house, Hobby lobby has a good sized canvas in a pack of two for 7.99.  These are my favorite.
• 1 can of oops paint found at Lowe's (color & name unknown).
• A paint brush.
• 40 brad nails (I used the ones that I had saved years ago from a book shelf we bought and didn't want to put the cardboard back on it.)
• Yarn to coordinate with the oops bin paint.
• Rubber Gloves (as to not ruin my manicure).
• Hammer.

Step 1:

Apply a layer or two of paint to the mirror and the canvases.  (I like the canvases that you can't see the staples on the sides) Let dry over night.

Step 2:

Hammer about 10 nails into each long side of the canvas frame, leaving about a quarter to a half inch of nail out of the wood.

Step 3:

With the yarn, tie a knot to a nail on the back of the canvas.  Once the end is secure, bring the yarn across the front of the canvas and hook onto any of the nails on the opposite side, and repeat back and forth until you have a desired look.

Step 5:

Secure the end of the yarn, repeat on the second canvas.

Step 6:

Hang as desired!  This wall has been blank for too long.  (It needs paint desperately, but I haven't had the motivation for that yet).

Sorry about the photo quality, but my good camera is spending the afternoon with someone else.  These iphone photos were the best I could come up with.

Did you make your long weekend productive?

Jennifer