Written By: Michelle Fortin @ Our Dream Foreclosure
I was incredibly inspired by the Olympics this summer. Who wasn’t? What an amazing show of sportsmanship, athleticism and patriotism. I love the idea of bringing those ideals into my son’s room through this very simple (and inexpensive!) project.
You only need a few things for this project… Five bike wheels (from three bikes), spray paint primer, and spray paint in the Olympic colors.
I found kid’s bikes for just $4.99 at my local thrift store. I even had a $10 off coupon, so I scored three bikes for $4.99, total. Happy dance!
My husband, a cycling fanatic, stripped out the axles, bearings, and cogs… leaving me with just the wheel itself (no tire).
I spent a couple of days getting grease out of the center hole. First, I would spray them with degreaser, wipe out the grease, rinse the wheels, let them dry – and repeat – until they were clean.
Once they were ready, I covered them with spray paint primer, and then let them dry.
Once the primer is dry, you’re ready to apply the Olympic colors… blue, black, red, yellow and green. Since those are not colors I’m using anywhere else, I opted for Krylon’s Short Cuts, mini spray paint cans:
Aren’t they cute? I looked all over, and found the best price for these at Hobby Lobby.
So, the obvious next step is to start painting the wheels/rings…
The front/back was easy. The sides, however, were a little tricky. At first, I thought the middle hole would fit over a wine or beer bottle, but they were a little small. So, I jerry-rigged three beer bottles through the spokes to hold the wheels just far enough off the ground that I could spray the entire side in one try.
Once the wheels are covered with paint and dry – you can hang them up right away!
The correct order is blue, black, red on top and yellow, green on the bottom.
I simply hung my wheels with one nail per wheel, really close together. I don’t recommend this method if they’re within a child’s reach, but for now… my little guy cannot get to them.
Okay, here’s the budget breakdown for this project:
Bikes = $5 ($4.99 each with a $10 off coupon)
Spray paint primer = Already had
Mini spray paints = $16.75
TOTAL = $21.75
Without the coupon, this project would be $31.75 – plus you’ll have a bit of leftover spray paint for something else.
What do you think? Anyone have a bike enthusiast at home who would love this on his or her wall?