Chicken Wire Message Board Makeover

I’m going to be honest, I am not the most organized person when it comes to my office. I just kind of throw crap in there and hope I find it later.

Lately my desk has been looking like this (excuse the blurry phone picture that I took right before I hung stuff up onto my message board) :

I know, it is bad. But recently I’ve been on a kick to finally start taking care of my office! I started out with these super easy diy shelves, which helped tackle my crafting supplies, but I was still waiting on a project to organize my paperwork.

When we first moved into our house, I saw this cool chicken wire frame thingy (I know, technical term) that I think used to be a gate for a coop. Since it was hidden in the rafters and we have no ladder, I left it alone. Last week though, I had enough, I had to get that puppy down to use as a message board in my office. So I did what any responsible adult would do, and stacked some drywall buckets together and jumped on top of them with a 2×4 to poke and push at the dang thing until it fell down.

I took it inside, cleaned all of the cobwebs off and added some Frog Tape to it. Let me just stop right now and express my newfound undying love for Frog Tape! It is pure perfection and the best painting tape around! I got a big roll on sale for about $8 at  Lowe’s, where I also picked up my painting supplies and stain.

After it was all taped off I grabbed some leftover white paint and primer that was left by the prior homeowners and painted on 5, yes 5, layers of paint! The brand of paint was some brand that I never heard of, so I can’t attest to the normal quality of it.

After all 5 layers were dried I sanded off around the edges (which was way too easy to do, I expected some sort of resistance but this paint came off without me trying) and used a q-tip to stain the exposed wood. I also accidentally spilled the can of stain over the entire project, so I got to do a sixth layer of paint once I was done. -_-

At first I didn’t like the distressed look and neither did Cyle. He asked me if I missed some spots, but once I distressed more, I loved it!

To finish off, do a nice layer of poly, let it dry, then add some sawtooth hooks to the back to hang! I got mine at Hobby Lobby, but you can pick them up at pretty much any craft store or hardware store.

Also, aren’t you in love with these cute little clips I found at Michaels?! They make this message board soooo much cuter!

Linking Up With:

A Night Owl Blog,Carrie This Home, Love Grows Wild, Boogie Board Cottage, Coastal Charm, Dwelling In Happiness, The Dedicated House, Confessions of a Plate Addict, A Stroll Thru Life, House on the Way, Tiny Sidekick, The Official Blog Guide, Enjoy the View, Oh My Creative, Just a Girl and Her Blog, Happy Kids Inc, Living Well Spending Less, Someday Crafts, The Blissful Bee, The Kitchen and Beyond, Ruffles and Rainboots, Hymns and Verses, The 36th Avenue, Practically Functional, Domestic Superhero, Coffee With Us 3, Reasons to Skip the Housework, Nifty Thrifty Things, Our Rosey Life, Flamingo Toes, 

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