Display Your Race Bling – DIY Style!
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After completing a race where you received hardware (A.K.A. a Finisher’s Medal), figuring out where and how to display it can be time consuming. Think no more! We have your solution! Grab some girlfriends and plan for a fun, crafty day or evening. Your finished result could look like the picture above!
Supplies:
Unfinished wooden plaque (can be any size)
Fine grit sandpaper (we use 320 grit)
Acrylic paint – 1 color for entire plaque and 1 color for letters
Sponge paintbrushes
Assortment of regular bristle paintbrushes
Stencils for letters in desired font
Hooks and plaque mounting hardware (can customize plaque to include your desired number of hooks)
Laser level (optional)
Measuring Tape or Ruler
Screwdriver (powered is preferable)
Hammer
Large paper or plastic to protect table from paint
Friends!!
Directions for creating your own medal hanging rack:
- Spread newspaper or plastic down on work surface.
- Paint the unfinished wood with your base paint. Only one coat is required, so make sure you cover all spots.
- After the base coat dries, lay stencils down to spell out the saying of your choice. (You may want to use a laser level or measuring tape to ensure even spacing and level placement)
- Using a combination of the sponge paintbrush and the bristle paintbrushes, paint the word(s) using the stencils.
- After removing the stencils, you may notice areas where paint creeped out of the lines. Don’t panic! First, use the base coat and a thin bristle paintbrush to touch up these areas. (Part of the charm of this particular medal rack lies in the fact that it is imperfect!)
- After the stenciled words completely dry, use sandpaper to lightly sand the entire plaque. Sand until desired “rustic” effect is achieved.
- Next, attach the hooks to the front of your plaque while accounting for even measurement.
- Attach the mounting hardware to the back of your plaque.
- Finally, hang your medal rack and fill with your race bling!
We chose to paint our medal racks with the words, “Race Bling,” but you can do whatever words represents your accomplishment best. Some examples could be: Race Hardware, Run Like a Girl, or Inspiration Station.
Tell us, what would you put on your DIY medal rack?