Printing on Con-Tact paper + Utensil holder makeover

I'd been on the hunt for a colorful utensil holder. You know, the canister by the stove where you put all your spatulas and slotted spoons.

There was nothing wrong with the one I had, but it was stainless steel. And next to a stainless steel toaster, in between a stainless stove and a stainless fridge under a stainless hood... well, things were looking a bit too samey. I wasn't finding anything I loved, which signaled it was time to change up the one I had with some paint.

I decided to make a sticker/stencil of sorts with Con-Tact paper. This is one of my favorite techniques for creating custom designs. The poor man's version of a crafter's die cut machine, if you will.

First, I found a shield shape via Google images and re-sized it in Photoshop. 

Then I printed it out on the paper backing side of a piece of clear Con-Tact paper with my normal home ink jet printer. Warning: Don't print on the shiny sticker side! And you probably don't want to send Con-Tact paper through a laser printer because they can get very hot and who knows what kind of mess that might make.

I cut the shape out with a scissors...

And stuck it like a sticker onto my surface, making sure to burnish down all the edges really well. I also masked off the top/inside and bottom of the can with some painters tape and paper so they would be protected.

Next, I spray painted the utensil holder for a smooth, glossy finish with aqua Valspar spray paint (Tropical Oasis). Valspar must have changed the formula recently because this dried a lot "harder" than when I worked with the same paint in the past. Much better! Plus it has a built-in primer and you can spray upside down and it dries super fast and it's cheap (only $3.98!). Winning x5.

After the paint had dried, I carefully peeled up the Con-Tact paper sticker. There was a little bit of gummy residue leftover, but I was able to remove it with some vegetable oil.

Sharp lines! The paint seriously looks like a factory finish. And the shield, my own personal superhero insignia. But if I ever get tired of the shield, I can just spin the can around to reveal the plain backside. Two in one!

Shield-shaped chalkboard

Are you sick of chalkboards yet? I hope not. As ubiquitous as they've become, I never really tire of the look.

A few months ago, I found this shield-shaped board thrifting. It appears to be some type of game board or weird cutting board with magnets and indentations, but really, I have no idea. I just saw it and was like, "Shield? Yes, please. I'll figure out what to do with you later." I have a thing for shield shapes, you know. 

So when it came time to put a few new things into the office, I knew I wanted to turn it into a chalkboard.

The back was flat except for three rubber feet, so I pried those off with a pliers. I filled the holes with some wood filler and sanded them smooth before painting the surface with chalkboard paint. Later, I painted the edge with some dark coral paint just to give it a little something extra.

Elise asked me what the chalkboard was for and when I told her it was for the office, she replied, "No, it's for my room." I guess that means I'll be making another one very soon.

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