gifts for guys guest tutorial- license plate key hanger by lemontree creations

Our guest today, Tiffany from Lemontree Creations and {happy day}, is one of our favorite girls. Not only is her youngest, Mia, almost exactly the same age as Piper Jane, but she used to be a teacher, too (Jordi and I were both were teachers in our before-baby days). She also exudes love for her family, is genuine, shares our love for throwing fabulous parties and, of course, comes up with all sorts of creative ideas (LOVE her decorating ideas... and she's been doing all sorts of pillows as part of a series called Shut Up and Sew that are fabulous [the pillows and the series]). And today, she's here to share a terrific Gifts for Guys tutorial as well!


Hi! I am Tiffany, wife of one and mother of three. Avery is 4, Tyson is 2, and Mia Grace is 3 months. I am a former teacher turned professional momma, crazy crafter, wanna-be seamstress, and never-ending decorator.

I have been thoroughly enjoying this amazing series of talented women showcasing some seriously cool guy stuff! I was beyond excited when these girls asked me to be a part of it until I realized that it meant I actually had to try and come up with a cool guy gift. What? This made me nervous. I brainstormed long and hard.

Then once I came up with the project idea, there was not a name for it. So I made one up and now I present you with The Handy and Manly Garage Hook System...

It all started with this bad boy. Do any of the men in your life own one of these? Mine did back in the day. I didn't want to tame his wild heart too much so I consented to the purchase of a motorcycle. Soon enough life took over and diapers became more important. He sold it and has wanted another one ever since.

I thought I would be a good wife and preserve his "glory days" for him by creating a hook system using the very license plate that graced the back of his precious bike.

I used these "tools" to get the job done. The license plate, a piece of pre-cut wood from a local craft store, screwdriver, screws, washers, black & white acrylic paint, weathered wood crackle medium, paint brush, and tacky glue.

I had been looking for a reason to try out the crackle finish on something. This was perfect. I was hoping for a look as rustic and manly as I could get.

I simply followed the directions just as they are written on the back of the bottle. I put a coat of black paint on my wood first. After it dried, I applied a coat of the weathered wood stuff. After that dried, I applied a thin coat of white paint.

After it dried, it looked like this. So easy and so fun.

Next I glued washers to the bottom two holes on the license plate simply for aesthetics.

I placed the license plate down where I wanted it and lined up four washers across the bottom where the hooks would be. I glued each washer in its place.

Then I inserted a screw into the center of each washer. I was going to use cute little hooks but in keeping with the manly theme, I chose basic screws instead.

I stopped screwing the four bottom ones right before they poked through the back. They were nice and sturdy and still had room for hanging things. I used 2-inch screws, but this will vary depending on the thickness of your wood.

And there it was all ready to be hung in the garage.

I unscrewed the two at the bottom of the license plate a bit and screwed them back into the wall in the garage.

Now my man can remember his first motorcycle each time he enters the house through the garage door.

He keeps a notebook with records of car maintenance as he does most of it himself so I got him a new one to hang from his little hook system. And I realize that most people don't hang their keys in a garage but you get the idea, right?

My man is all about function and practicality so he was pretty happy with his new hooks!

Thank you so much, KoJo for letting me be a part of your fabulous blog for the day! I feel honored and I had so much fun! I love all the collaboration and unity in this big blog world!

Be sure to check in with Tiffany at both of her homes (happy day and lemontree)... some serious inspiration awaits!