One of the very few inconveniences of a dishwasher, is that not every model has buttons that are visible from the outside of the machine. My boyfriend’s parents recently had their kitchen renovated and one of the beautiful new changes was that the dishwasher totally blended in with their new cabinetry. Perfect, right?
Unfortunately, there is no such thing as perfect. Nobody can tell when the dishwasher is running! Sure, there are mechanical whirs and rushes of water at the beginning of the cycle; but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve opened it wholeheartedly believing it was dirty, only to be splashed with scalding water while I frantically attempt to unpause the cycle and close it.
After this happened to me for the hundredth time this morning, I had burst of inspiration.
ETC: 30M
Supplies:
– Wood pieces, thin and rectangular (or your preference)
– Twine/ribbon/string/etc.
– Paint
– Vinyl or stencil
I bought the wood piece at the dollar store months ago, which were sold in packs of six. I painted both faces and each side of one wooden rectangle in acrylic white. I chose to use stencil vinyl to give the tiny sign a worn, handmade look. I didn’t want it to look perfect. The font I used was the beautiful Chasy by peterdraw. I went back and forth between the idea of using black or an espresso colour for the words and ultimately decided on the dark brown. It reminds me of dark chocolate and makes the sign look less generic!
I recommend using a drill to make a hole for the twine, but I can’t take credit for this handiwork- I asked my boyfriend to drill it for me! He did a great job, and I inevitably had to sand the exit side of the sign to smooth the hole from the pressure. After a quick paint touch up that will dry quickly, choose your length of twine or ribbon of choice and knot it through the sign. I cut the length of my twine so that I could slip the sign through the loop, that way I don’t have to tie the sign the the dishwasher every single time I need to change it.
Since I didn’t want my sign to look too fancy, I didn’t spray varnish or apply Mod Podge before painting the stencils. This led to a few small bleeds into the wood, but I honestly liked the rustic aesthetic. There were 2 ‘major’ bleeds that I easily fixed with a few dabs of white paint. Hopefully, I never have to clean my glasses from dishwasher steam ever again! If you decide to make one, tag me on Instagram or Pinterest @paxtonlanedesign! I’d love to see other versions.
Stay inspired,
Kendra
paxton lane design 