Drift Wood Plaque

So I have been looking for something for above my t.v. for a while now and while I was looking in my Ballard Design catalog one morning, I found it. Have you seen this?

I loved it. Everything about it was perfect...except the price. For the small plaque it is $100.00 and I'll just be honest, that's not in the budget this month or any other month this year. Therefore, I had to be creative and try to make my own. We came across a salvage yard downtown and I found the perfect piece of wood. The shape isn't quite as intricate as the Ballard plaque, but it would do just fine.

I found a french saying online (I am no bilingual) and printed the letters out. I transferred the outline by tracing the back of the letters with a pencil and coloring in the whole thing. I then turned the paper around (right side out) and rubbed the imprint on my wood. Next I painted the letters with simple craft paint and continued to "age" the wood to perfection. I created a whitewash using silver-blue craft paint and water. Lastly, I lightly sanded the entire board for a more antiqued look. So...I'm sure you are wondering if I stayed in budget. Lets go over the numbers: Wooden plaque: $6.00 Craft Paint: $2.00 Total cost: $8.00 Yup, budget kept.