Menu Art - A Work In Progress

We still have lots of bare walls in our home and it will take time to fill them all up, but I made a little progress this week.

For a long time now I have had the idea of using menus as art, but the exact way in which to do it has never come to me...until now.  The project is still coming together in pieces but it is off to a good start.

(The other sign says "eat")
I originally planned on using wood letters to spell the words "eat" and "well" but I just couldn't find the font I wanted at the price I wanted to pay.  But while wondering around JoAnn's I saw a small chalk board and came up with a new plan.  I bought two pre-cut wooden plaques ($2 each) and some picture hangers to attach to the back (another couple of bucks).  I used some left over chalkboard paint I had at home and quickly covered the plaques in two coats of paint.  Then I picked up these chalk board markers at Target.

These were a little pricey, especially considering I only needed one marker and used it to write 2 words.  I thought about using them then taking them back, and the thought continues to cross my mind, but I stopped myself.  There is a fine line between thrifty and cheap, right?!?!?!  

It is taking a little work to track down the menus I want.  I found these two online at the restaurant's websites and simply downloaded and printed them.  I am having a former neighbor send me a menu from Alice's - the amazing, mouth watering, I am drooling right now, little Chinese restaurant down the street from our old place in SF.  Oh Alice's how I miss thee.  And then I need to do a little driving to pick up the menu from our favorite chocolate shop here in town.  Does chocolate go with Chinese food?

Now the clips are turning out to be a little harder to find.  They are called bulldog clips.  You can find them at amazon.com, but I am just not willing to pay $8 in shipping for something that rings up to $4!  After some serious store searching - I had three employees searching every isle - I did find them at Michael's in the art / drafting section.  But of course they only had 2.  So I bought them and will have to go back.  (The perfect excuse to go back I should say!)

So the project is coming together...one meal at a time :)  Nothing better then fun, personal, thrifty and mouth watering art!