pleasure in simple things

I have been wanting to make something using a zip code for quite some time.  I don’t think 90210 is the only zip code worth embracing…the zip code from wherever you call home is the perfect one to display!  Or, a place you dream about visiting (should I look up the zips from the locales with the best beaches?…)  Anyway, this time I am using the zip code from my daughter’s home away from home…aka school.

It is an easy DIY project…I will guide you through the steps…

If you follow my procedure, you will need the following items:

• a clear glass plate (I purchased mine at Target)
• Con-Tact adhesive paper in clear
• Krylon looking glass spray paint
• a clear coat of some type (I used a spray)
• a clean spray bottle
• a computer printer

The first thing I did was to figure out how I would get the zip code onto the glass.  I decided to print it onto clear Con-Tact adhesive paper so that I could easily adhere it to the glass.  I picked out a font called Stohr Numbers on www.dafont.com.  Once you have the image you want to use, you will need to print it out in reverse image…to do this, either indicate the proper setting on the print settings of your printer or, you can use a graphics software.  You need to do this so that the sticky part of the Con-Tact paper is on the front of the numbers because you will be adhering it to the underside of the glass.

To accomplish this, I used clear Con-Tact paper (I love this product – I use it for so many things!).  I simply cut a piece of the Con-Tact adhesive paper and hand-fed it through my computer printer.  I used a scissors to trim closely around the numbers.  You can cut out the numbers individually, but I chose not to because I wanted to keep the spacing between the numbers exact.

I peeled off the backing of the Con-Tact paper and positioned the numbers where I wanted them, affixing them to the underside of the glass by rubbing firmly.  I scratched up the letters a little bit…just so they looked a little distressed.

Now, I just needed to create the mercury glass effect.  You have probably seen items created with the Krylon looking glass spray paint – it seems to be one of the hot craft items right now…with good reason!  It is so cool!  It creates a mirror effect on glass.  This is created by spraying five thin coats of spray on the underside of the glass.

But, I did not just want a mirror effect…I wanted a mercury glass look…that is where the spray bottle comes in.

Put a little bit of clean tap water into the spray bottle and adjust the nozzle to a fine mist.  Then, read the instructions on the Krylon paint.

Before you start your spray painting, spray a fine mist of water on the underside of the piece.  Immediately spray your first coat of looking glass spray paint, following the directions on the can.  I sprayed a fine mist of water onto the paint after each coat for the first three coats.  After three coats were completed, I blotted (not rubbed) the back of the piece to absorb the water so that the mottling would receive two fine coats of the paint.  I guess everyone develops their own technique after trying this product, but I like the depth created by this method.

After the paint was dry, I sprayed a clear coat on the underside of the piece to protect the paint from scratching.

That was it!  I finally got my zip code tray and I think it is a perfect place to drop off car keys!

I hope you enjoyed this DIY for a zip code mercury glass tray…what zip code will you choose to display?

Thanks so much for visiting, Jackie

I am sharing at Coastal Charm,  The Shabby Nest, Craftberry Bush, A Pinch of Joy,  Craftionary, and Common Ground.