Tuesday, March 2, 2010

How to put a big board to good use.

After weeks of dealing with a damaged bathroom floor, the trial and error of finding the leak and finally getting it replaced, I had a big piece of plywood leaning against the wall in the garage. Exactly 4 feet by 4 feet.

Maybe a little background would be in order here. Our 19 year old son recently moved out and is serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in South America. Our youngest daughter moved into his room and that left a room right next door to ours. What we would do with this room was never a question!! It immediately became a room for our bikes or "The Cave".

Our bikes are set up on trainers so they are available to ride at any time with only a moments notice. In this room we have: a desk complete with TV, Stereo, and DVD Player; a couch, the hide a bed so that company can have their own room with out displacing any kids; Beaner's drum kit, 2 of Mikes bikes, of course Kleetus; and a dart board with dreams of being hung on the wall and played with again.

Weaving my way around that board every time I got out of the car in the garage gave me an idea. The dart board! We had tried hanging it once before only to discover that even the plastic tipped darts that it came with stick in the wall around it. So why not screw this big eye sore board on the wall behind it?

Ah yes. But it didn't have to be an eyesore either! I remembered years ago watching one of the decorating shows on tv. They were actually turning a garage into a work out room with several bikes. The owner was a bike lover like my Mike. So, using the ideas I remembered seeing on that show... This is what I did with my board:

I painted it with swirls and rainbows. Created bike shapes on poster paper and cut them out. Then I laid them on the board and spraypainted over them all. When the shapes were removed color was left in its place. So now Mr. Dart Board has a home, and the wall is protected from dart holes.

16 comments:

JoLyn said...

That is so cool. You should be on some decorator show somewhere! Good job!

Goings on at the Glenn's said...

Very fun! I am glad to see pictures of it now. I really like how it turned out. What did you do the rainbow colors with? Did you go out and buy a bunch of cans of paint? Or did you use craft paint?

Mike J said...

That is a most excellent board. A perfect complement to the Lance and Benny the Beaver posters.

The Mothership said...

I love it! Very cool. You did a great job! Perfect for a "the cave"!

Adventures in MetroLand said...

I believe Swanky is the appropriate word. Props to you!


Also, apparently there is a drunk tree as my verification word is "rumfir"

Jenny-Jenny said...

Believe it or not after 19 years of kids and their crafts and "bright" ideas, I actually have all of those colors in cans of paint.

Rogers said...

Very clever, you smart lady, you!! Very colorful and bright. I really really like it :D

Twisted Fencepost said...

That is a great idea!!
It's got me thinking......

bandanamom2 said...

genius...:)

Deepa Praveen said...

IT z a great idea..i think u got another follower.:P

am i going to give my husband sleepless nights...never know :P

Anonymous said...

That is really amazing looking! Can I assume from the artwork that Mike enjoys riding around in his small ring?

Dawn said...

I love it! Maybe some day it can include 5x7 pics of grandchildren! Just kidding! You are so creative, but I knew that! Clever! xo (the word for today is 'ropho' - what does it mean?)

Kim said...

You are so crafty! Way to use what you've got and make something cool and useful out of it. So impressive.

Joy For Your Journey said...

Very creative--and cute. I love the blue walls too!

Tipper said...

I love it! What a great idea-and it looks so cool too : )

Jenny86753oh9 said...

What a great idea! I have a piece of foamboard that is about 4x4...I wonder if I could do something similar with that for the boys' room. Wouldn't that shock them?...their non-creative mom being creative...HA!