Large Wall Mural

He used to be a commercial fisherman (crabber) and we LOVE all things nautical. I found the perfect "mural" online for about $13.00

Unfortunately, I didn't read the fine print when I ordered it - it was being shipped from China. So long story short, it didn't get here in time for his birthday.

To give you some scale - the table seats 8 comfortably. I think the overall size is about 5' x 7'.

I started by making a wooden frame. Initially, I put it together using a staple gun and heavy duty staples.

Once I had the frame built, I attached muslin as a backing with the staple gun and THEN I attached the mural. I made the initial frame a bit too large and the material was REALLY tight. So tight in fact that it snapped the frame. I had to remove ALL the staples from both the mural and the backing, on my knees, on the tiled dining room floor. Such fun! Back to Home Depot for more wood.

I made the SECOND frame much sturdier by using wood screws and adding blocks at all the areas where the frame was connected. I also upgraded from muslin to a painters drop cloth.

Once I had everything re-attached I added 1" nail head trim in an antique bronze finish. I had to use an awl to make pilot holes before nailing them in place. I put a piece of cardboard over the individual nail heads when hammering them in so they wouldn't get dinged up. Then I sprayed the whole thing with Scotch Guard. I did 3 coats, making sure it was completely dry between each one. (1 full can).

It took a lot of work and a fair amount of cussing to get it just right. It also ended up costing a lot more than I had originally planned, but the look on his face when he saw it was totally worth it!