Tuesday, October 14, 2008

A CHALLENGE FOR YOU!

Today is cold (35 degrees) and rainy and dismal and gray. I needed a project! Dear readers, take a look around you at the switch plate covers in your house. I am guessing most if not all of them are white or cream colored plastic, right? OK..that is just plain boring! So, I challenge you to make them colorful! They serve to keep our fingers from touching wires, so they need some respect and some color, right? Here is what I did. I found a copy of "Martha Stewart Living", a magazine that has beautiful photographs on very good quality paper. I selected some of them and cut them out slightly larger than the switch plate to be covered. Brush some Mod Podge (or any white glue that dries clear) on the plate and lay the selected photo on the plate. If you have a brayer, roll it over to get a nice adhesion. Then, flip the plate over and cut out the corners of the paper so that you end up with wide tabs on each side. then, add glue to these flaps and fold them to the back side. Now, take a craft knife and cut an X in each opening. Spread glue on these cut tabs and fold them to the inside. After all is secure, put another layer of Mod Podge all over the front to seal it. You are finished! How easy was that? I just know Martha would say "it's a good thing". Now, go make pretty switch plate covers; they deserve it!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

All my switch plates are already decorated. Glad you are decorating yours! They look terrific. Years ago I traded a doll for a wonderful painted switch plate. I was in Santa Fe. cheers Dee

ti said...

Awesome! I absolutely love them. I started to do something similar last year, and only did one, and didn't like the colors. But I'm newly inspired! The vibrant natural scenes are really beautiful.
Ti

Anonymous said...

Thanks! I confess I can do four of them in about 5 minutes...:)

Vanessa Vaile said...

How does modge podge hold up under cleaners (thinking country dirt and years of children's smudgy prints)? Wouldn't a coat of polyurethane be in order?

There's also paint in LOUD colors - stripes, stenciled geometrics.

Anonymous said...

Yes, if I were thinking long term or had children around, poly would be a good idea.
(hey)Jude

Anonymous said...

Now ... if we could just get rid of the two little ghosty faces that are left ... staring out at you. ( or am I the only one who sees ghosts here ? )

Seriously, this is such an improvement over the plain white ! good idea. KathyB

Anonymous said...

I guess if I was annoyed by my little ghost friends, I could take a small paint brush and more acrylic and paint them. But, nope, not an issue here!