Week 1 {tiny paintings project}

New Year - New Project

This week: TICKER TAPE TIMELINE

Each week I'll post artwork and instructions for a new DIY project. Send me a picture of your timeline, and I’ll post it on my Pinterest board.  This month I’ll focus on projects for organizing the New Year.

Use today's printable clip art to make a timeline to keep track of monthly goals, projects, appointments, events, expenses, exercise, and/or birthdays.

Get the artwork in the ARTWORK DOWNLOADS column to the right. 

FIG. 1 Clean out the desk, and save a stack of paper, with color and style in mind.  It’s always good, when starting a project, to set some clear limitations. I used the insides of security envelopes, a few receipts, and index cards. So, my style plan is: office papers in a fade from natural to blue. You could use strips of fabric, ribbons, wrapping paper, wallpaper or old drawings.

FIG. 2 Supplies: Print out the timeline artwork on 4” x 6” photo paper. Don’t use the borderless setting. You’ll also need a roll of clear Con-tack paper, a piece of chipboard (like the back of a tablet), a tape measure or yard stick, self-stick notes in a color that goes with your paper scraps, a utility knife, blue tape (so you don’t peel the paint off your wall), a gold marker, a ruler and cutting board and your choice of adhesive. I used a combo of spray mount and double stick tape.

FIG. 3 Depending on how much space you need for notes, you may want to trim your self-stick notes. I trimmed an inch off each note and the total length of the timeline ended up being 41”.  To trim a stack of papers, firmly hold the ruler in place and repeatedly slice through about two pieces at a time with an even pressure and angle.

FIG. 4 Mount the artwork on the chipboard and trim the labels. Put double-stick tape on the back. Alternatively, make tape balls by folding the blue tape over onto itself. 

FIG. 5 Cut your collection of paper into ¼” strips with scissors. I like them to be a bit irregular.

FIG. 6 Tape the tape measure to a wall. You can work on a table or the floor, but I prefer to work on a wall-hung piece on a wall. Arrange the self-stick notes and labels along the ruler. I left 1 ¼” between each note.  Cut a strip of Con-tack paper about 1” bigger than your arrangement all the way around. My piece ended up being about 44 ½” long and 4 ¾” wide.  Tape the Con-tack paper to the wall next to your arrangement with the paper side out. Peel off the paper to reveal the adhesive.

 FIG. 7 The fun part: arrange the strips of paper, leaving a bit of adhesive showing between each strip. Refer to your timeline layout for your design. You may want to change colors each month, or put a certain color behind the labels.

FINISHING  Cut a second piece of contact paper a little wider all the way around than the first. Sandwich the strips of paper between the two adhesive sides of the Con-tack paper. Working from the top, unpeel a couple of inches of backing paper at a time, smoothing in between.  Trim the sides along the edge of the first piece of Con-tack paper.  Move the labels and self-stick notes to the timeline. To hang the piece I simply wrapped the top layer of Con-tack paper around a strip of chipboard and put pushpins through it.   But you could use pretty ribbon and tassels.

FINAL TOUCH  Use the gold marker to highlight the text on the labels.