kojotutorial: scrap materials house number!

You know that elated feeling when you finally tackle something that's been on your to-do list for a long time?  That is how I felt hanging up our new house number!  Even better, I used leftover construction materials that I found in our garage to put our new house number together (well, except the numbers themselves... nope, there wasn't a metal "9" a "2" and a "1" lying around our garage).  Easy, nearly free and So. Much. Better than the alternative.  See?

BEFORE

AFTER

To make a new (and oh so fabulous if I do say so myself) house number to replace your old, dated, why-the-heck-did-I-let-that-hang-on-my-house-for-so-long one, using mostly materials you find in your garage, you'll need:

-a leftover scrap of wood, cut into a square (mine was 11" x 11")
-4 pieces of leftover trim at least the length of your square's sides
-paint to match your exterior palette
-a printed 'stencil' spelling out the words for your house number
-miter saw or miter box
-house numbers

1. Paint your scrap of wood in your palette.  This will become your base.  Paint your leftover trim in a coordinating color.  I used our main house color (an olive-y green) for the base and our trim color (a darker olive-y green) for the trim.  Let all your painted pieces dry.

2. Cut out your word 'stencil.'  Trace the word outlines onto the center of your base with a pencil.  Fill in the outlines with a small paint brush and coordinating paint (I used the same, darker color that I used to paint the trim pieces).

3. Using a miter saw or miter box, cut the edges of your trim pieces to make a 'frame' around your base.  Nail your trim pieces in place.

4. Screw your house numbers into the center of your frame.

5. Touch up the paint you chipped when your were nailing on the trim and screwing on the house numbers.

6. Hang and admire!