Finishing Robin’s Sweet Song

Of all the parts of designing a new project – I think my favorite part is finishing it. Tweaking the look of how the project will be displayed, testing different ideas, and just plain goofing around.
The type of finishing I used for Robin’s Sweet Song is so fun and you never quite know how it will turn out.
First I took a wooden plaque found at just about any craft store. First paint it green and let it dry. Then paint it cream – also allow it to dry completely.
Then – the fun part. Sand most of that great paint right off! You can use sand paper – but I have a father with a full wood shop. He used an orbital sander! Make it uneven, sand more off in some places than others, have lots of the wood show through or not…. This is the part that is totally up to you. Have fun with you. If you take too much off – just paint it again and sand again.
Next is another fun part… staining. Usually I pick a walnut or an oak stain – nothing with too much color. I rub the stand in with paper towels. It changes the look of the entire thing. Wipe away any wet stain and allow plaque to dry for at least a day.
Final step for the plaque is to clear coat it. I like matte finish polyurethane. It seals in what you’ve done but doesn’t leave it glossy.
Now your project… Cross Stitch or Punch Needle!
To mount, trim project within about a half inch around the project. Clip the corners and slowly spread glue and tack down the edges to the back of the project. When that is dry, spread more glue on the back and apply to fully cured and dried plaque.
Sometimes I glue a black cording around the cross stitch just to cover all my edges and give it a border.
Hope you enjoyed this glimpse into finishing… my favorite finishes are the ones were I get to beat things up, drag them across the driveway, and mess it all up… and then do it all over again! Hope you have fun with your finishing.