Meaningful Gift Giving and Gruncle’s Raspberries Sign

Meaningful gift giving is seriously one of my FAVORITE hobbies in the world. Yes, hobby. I enjoy it that much! Knowing I can make another person feel loved and appreciated through simple actions fills my heart to the brim! I often find myself dreaming up ideas of things to make or find that my friends and family will genuinely appreciate and enjoy. I even keep “gift ideas” list going all year round in the notes section of my phone, so that I can jot down ideas whenever inspiration strikes. It will come as no shock to those who know me well that I have most of my 2019 Christmas gifts already planned- ha!
Isla and I collaborated on this Father’s Day gift for my uncle (her Gruncle) and it is seriously one of my all-time favorite gifts! Isla and Gruncle pick raspberries together every summer from his garden. It is the sweetest little tradition and one I know they both look forward to all year long. I felt this sign would honor their shared time, and the fact that the words are all in Isla’s handwriting made the gift even more special!

To make the sign I picked up a walnut board and post at Home Depot. Then Isla wrote GRUNCLE’S RASPBERRIES on a piece of paper and I converted it into a stencil by cutting it out of contact paper using my Silhouette machine (I am kicking myself now for not documenting the process step by step, but I’m sure there will be similar projects I can share in the future). After carefully applying the stencil to the board I sponge painted the letters with thin layers of white acrylic paint. Then I applied several coats of clear varnish and attached the post. It was a labor of love- and a bit tedious at times- but knowing how much Gruncle would appreciate it, I don’t think I stopped smiling the entire time I was working!

My heart absolutely exploded seeing this sign displayed proudly in Gruncle’s raspberry patch this summer as he and Isla were busy picking!