Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Write Them on the Doorposts

"Put Scripture where you can see it so your eye will remind your heart." - Jewish Proverb

Several years ago, I saw on a blog (that no longer exists) a lady who painted a psalm around the top of her living room wall. I loved the way it brought Scripture into every day life. I did something similar to our dining room (using stencils, since I have no artistic powers with a paint brush.)

This winter, I was bored with my "pale" kitchen (white cupboards, cream walls) and on a whim, I painted the walls a dark brown. There really wasn't much "wall" since our kitchen is mostly open to other rooms. But even that little bit of brown jolted the room.

(Don't worry. This blog isn't going to turn into a decorating blog. I don't have a bit of natural talent in the decorating arena. But I was so pleased with my kitchen, I just couldn't help but share!)
I found some large stencils at Hobby Lobby. The five inch letters were the perfect size to fill the odd shaped spot between my kitchen cupboards and the ceiling.
I chose a short verse for over the sink and another for the opposite corner. I love how my daughter will sometimes look up and read those words. Of course, it has only been a couple weeks since I finished stenciling, so the novelty will eventually wear off. I'd like to pretend that the Scripture was chosen as a reminder for my children but in reality it was the mom herself that needed the gratitude/joy reminder this summer.
Jenny shared a great post on decorating a home with Scripture. You can find some neat wall vinyls from P Graham Dunn that would be far easier then stenciling. They have lots of other Scripture themed products as well. But painting is cheaper and if you live near by - I'd be glad to share my stencils. I wish I was crafty enough to do free hand painting like Clorita!

I'm thinking that Scripture is going to be showing up in other places in our home.
Do you have any ideas to incorporate Scripture in your home decor?

16 comments :

  1. I have always wanted to do something similar! It's beautiful and I think God did give you a great talent. I know you probably don't agree, but for those like me who probably can't even line the stencil up straight, I think you did great!

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  2. Gina - I found your blog yesterday and am back today to dig a little deeper ;-) Can't wait to try some of your wonderful looking recipes!!

    I too LOVE to have scripture before me - I have painted several canvases which I have up in the house - nothing spectactular I assure you!! Just a blend of soothing colors on the background with the scripture traced and painted on top.

    The other thing I do is to write scripture on index cards and decorate them with stamps or stickers to make them 'pretty' and put them inside my pantry and kitchen cupboards where I am in and out all day long. I put notes from my husband and son in there too - so there is lots of love in those cupboards!!

    Blessings!!

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  3. Love the stenciling ~ You did a great job!
    I went the "easier" route of the vinyl rub-on... see it here if you like...

    http://outofthemiryclay.blogspot.com/2010/07/finally-pictures.html

    But I wouldn't call it "easy" ~ getting it to stick to the right thing was a challenge. But I do enjoy the end results =)

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  4. I am so glad you posted this! I received a vinyl scripture from a neighbor a couple of months ago and have been trying to find the right place to put it. For some reason never thought of the space above the cupboards.

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  5. I agree with the "Write them on the doorposts" idea. We decided when we started decorating our house that we wanted all or at least most of our pictures/wall hangings to point us and those who enter our home to Jesus. We've found some beautiful wall hangings that have Scripture on them and I love how they speak to my soul from time to time. It's such a simple way to have Truth in your home.

    Love your stenciling; looks great. I agree with Annie- I doubt I'd even be able to get the stencil to line up straight! I'm terrible at that kind of thing.

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  6. First, I love your blog...you are such an inspiration to me. Second, I have a tray that I painted and choose chalkboard paint for the inside...I change it weekly...sometimes scripture, sometimes an encouraging word or phrase. It sits on our Ottoman in the living room.

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  7. I'm glad you all apparently can't see how crooked these letters are! I chose an informal font hoping that would help hide my mistakes. Even with tracing a line first- I still have some words higher then others!

    Gina

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  8. Gina,

    I love your stenciling of Bible verses around your kitchen!!! I have long wanted to do something similar, but at this point I have no really plain walls on which to do so. Maybe as time goes on we will be able to remodel, or at least take down more wallpaper and paint the walls instead. If I ever do have the opportunity (maybe even in a different house), I would definitely like to stencil some Scripture on our walls. You did a great job and I love the stencils you chose. Thanks so much for sharing and encouraging your readers in this way.

    One way I have brought Scripture into my home decor is via cross stitch samplers. I've made lots of stitchery projects for gifts over the years, but was inspired to do some Scripture samplers with verses that were special to me, just for our home. Here is a post on my blog that shows a few of these:

    Scripture cross-stitch samplers

    If others are interested in stitching similar ones, they can scroll down through the comments on the above post. In the very last comment, I share links to the patterns and my source for them.

    Love the ideas that others shared in response to this post, too. I would like to try some of them.

    Thanks again for sharing and for inspiring all of your readers. You (and your blog) are a blessing!

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  9. Oh I love this! We just painted our kitchen and I have been wanting to incorporate a scripture or two in our final design. This is just the inspiration I need to get it done. Thank you!

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  10. I love your stencils! For our wedding, my husband gave me I Corinthians 13 in a frame and we have that hanging near our kitchen. I write scripture verses on blank index cards and decorate them with flowers and things, and hang them around the house; I didn't even know people noticed them until a friend who hadn't visited me in many months, and doesn't know the Lord, e-mailed me and asked about one of the verses! What a surprise!

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  11. After I read your post, I got out something I had bought from a Christian bookstore several years ago. It's not a Scripture, but it's a matted and framed thingy that has my husband's name on the top and then these words - Trust Me; I have everything under control - Jesus."

    Now to figure out what Scriptures to print off and frame!! This is a great post you've shared; thank you.

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  12. I have been wanting to do this too! Thanks for sharing. I have some on my wishlist at Amazon but I am saving up my swagbucks to get them.

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  13. Hi Gina.......Love your stenciling, GREAT JOB!!!
    At our home in Iowa, I painted flowers on the 3 walls above our tub/shower....wish I would have thought of the scripture.....but anyway, for our family those flowers got lots of viewing, when washing your hair where do you look? Any way just another idea for you.
    Carolyn

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  14. I like having scripture around the house, but I am not crafty so I put up posters. I just recently found your blog and am enjoying it.

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  15. I do not have any but a friend has a few. The one that impacted me the most wasn't scripture but wow, what a message....it was on the wall over the phone and said "Tell it to Jesus."
    Quite a sermon in 4 words!

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  16. I love your blog! So refreshing.... and I love stenciling. Gives everything such a comforting touch. Newest follower from THL.

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