This post will be addressing two very important topics. HUGE…Really Ginormous. One might not be so huge, the decorating of a boring spot, but the other one I think can help to shape the future of a family and to me that is Monstrously Huge!
At the top of our stairs we have this plain B.O.R.I.N.G. wall. It’s purpose in life was to hold up the roof and not complain when dirty finger prints were smudged across it. It did a great job every day, but it needed to be challenged, to step it up a notch, to determine the future of a family. ENOUGH was Enough! It needed to scream, “I am a contributor to this family’s well being.” I know I am talking about a wall here, but you know what little things can do to make a house a home. This wall really needed pitch in:)
We sat down as a family and decided to come up with a:
Family Motto Ideas
My 2 little boys didn’t have a say because…well they can’t talk yet! My girls were super excited and my husband was excited by the excitement it stirred. We bulit up anticipation about an amazing family event that was going to take place, but they had to wait a couple days to hear about it. They were rearing to go when we launched the ‘secret.’
We told the girls they have the chance to help make a family motto. To develop a ‘chant’ that we say after family prayer that would be special to our family. Almost like a secret family mission statement. We had them start off by naming some qualities that we have or hope to have. They were funny. First of all they said they didn’t know what qualities were and then when we explained it they said, “Oh like cleaning our room or doing dishes?” Apparently my husband and I didn’t explain it well enough to them so we started by giving them ideas. We started with, “The Prince home is and environment of: Love, Faith…”
They soon caught on and added kindness,happiness, and honesty.
We talked about what each one meant and then how we could develop those qualities together as a family.
We said it each night as a family and also brought it up when five year old ‘fibs’ were being told, or the blasted barbie was being fought over. A few months after we implemented the Family Motto, we noticed we needed to add patience. Was it for me? Maybe, but we are not talking about me:) Lets stay focused on the task at hand!
Family Motto’s are wonderful. Family Motto’s add to the dynamics of a family. It can be powerful and fun and gets kids to feel as though they contribute to the family as well. If you want to hear more about family motto’s and efficitive’ness’ for families, Steven Covey has some books that go into a ton of detail. I was over on Amazon and found the 7 habits of highly effective families for $0.22 for a used book. Rock ON! If you can’t get it at the library…well even if you can, their late fees are more than that (and yes, I own a few library books myself…it would have been cheaper just to buy the book in the first place. My husband says I’m one of the reasons the library has funds to run!)
Anyway, on to ways to display a family motto in a fresh classy way…
Little floating sign.
It’s a 1x8x18 pine board painted black. I drilled two holes in the top to run the ribbon through. The ribbon is tied in a bow at the top and that’s what the board is hung from. I used thick cream ribbon with wire so I could shape the bow at the top.
‘The Prince home is an enviroment of:’ (monotype curvosa font in cream vinyl 4 inches tall and 12 inches long).
If you need a craft vinyl cutter go here: Silhouette
If you need vinyl sheets for your craft cutter go here: Expressions Vinyl
If you need pre-cut vinyl…well we are still looking into that. Our vinyl lady had to quit because of family and we are looking for another one. Let us know if you know a company (or mom) who runs a vinyl lettering business and is reliable. We will ‘drill’ them:) We only want to recommend the best!
You need a little
Kindness
Patience and Happiness
Throw in Faith
Then top it off with Love and Honesty
The fonts are all random fonts and to tell you the truth…I don’t remember half of them. BUT go with what your family likes. I went with more classic fonts because I like that look. If you like formal, elegant, cutesy, use it! It’s your family and your style. They are 7.5 inches tall.12 inches long.
Shelley a the floating frame tutorial which would also hold a family motto!. I’ve seen some other family motto/rule ideas on canvas. I saw Jen’s over at Tater Tots and Jello a few months ago so I went back to find the link and low and behold she was featuring 1 Lucky Girl‘s canvas too! Two birds with one stone. Thanks Jen! Also, Amy from the Idea Room has another family motto board idea that she hangs in her kitchen.
Another thought is that when we decide to add another character to our family motto we can just add it and not have to redo anything! You can also make this smaller to fit in your ‘space’.
We’d love to hear what your family motto is!
We are linking up to these fabulous link parties. Thanks for hosting Gals!
Jean@Sugar&Spice says
lovely!!!! I think you’re right about shaping the future with ideas like this one….truly
.-= Jean@Sugar&Spice´s last blog ..Windows =-.
Sharon Osborn says
We were talking in the teacher’s lounge the other day about how character traits are lacking in family homes in this generation. Thank you for seeing the importance and necessity of character building! Now, off to find a blank wall in our own home…hmmmm, some things might have to go 🙂
Lori says
Love the cute idea and the meaning behind it. I just ordered some precut vinyl from Shelley at House of Smiths blog. The vinyl portion of her site she calls Wonderfully Wordy. Haven’t received the piece yet but she was very sweet and easy to work with.
claire says
Ooh, I love the idea of using different fonts for each word! I have seen this on T&J, and a few other blogs as well. So glad to see this becoming a predominant feature in homes, rather than just the “rules” we should all be following. I think I will be trying this out sometime in the near future. My 5-y-o will certainly be glad to contribute!!
Kandi says
Really great idea! I love messages on the wall…your house looks so nice, by the way!
~Kandi
kandilandblog.blogspot.com
.-= Kandi´s last blog ..J.D. And The Wood Tick =-.
Kim heitkemper says
Love this!! I have an “in this home we do…..” on my wall at home.
Kelley says
I love it…. really think it would make me stop and think about all the values each time I looked at the wall. Beautiful and Inspiring
.-= Kelley´s last blog ..Washer necklaces =-.
Stephanie says
I know of a great place where you can order vinyl! Becky at Writings on the Wall helped me out a TON when I made Glass Blocks with vinyl for my Wedding Centerpieces. She’s been doing this for years and I’m very pleased with all of my purchases with them! 435-257-5084 http://writings-onthewall.com/store/
Stephanie says
oh, and she’s a LOT cheaper than most places you’ll find online but she makes quality stuff!! ;o)
Kat Taylo says
Well done.
Mary says
Love it!
Jeannette says
Oh I love it! And its such a great activity to talk about those words with the kids.
.-= Jeannette´s last blog ..Blog Against Bullying! =-.
Jen says
I love the 7 Habits books…and truly try to live by the 7 Habits. I have words throughout our house…to motivate, to inspire and to create the environment of joy I want in my home. My favorites are…”all because two people fell in love” (family room wall), “May you live all the days of your life in love” (kitchen) and “Whatever you are, be a good one” (boys bathroom). I also have family rules posted, they’re mostly about the character of our family like…scattter joy, share and mind your manners.
Sharon Davis says
Hi,
I was reading your post today, and you said your were looking for a new vinyl supplier. I have my own vinyl business, and have had it for 4 years. I would be very interested in speaking with you about your ideas and needs.
Thanks so much,
Sharon Davis
Steph says
I LOVE that book! I also love all the books by the Eyre’s (teaching your children values, teaching your children joy, etc) Combined with the Covey books I think they are THE best parenting books on the market!
As for our family motto: it’s “No Empty Seats”. It reminds us to strive to live accordingly so we can all be together on the other side 🙂 It’s one my parents invented and is now being passed down to a 3rd generation!
We even have the symbol of the “chair” that we use to remind us. One year my dad bought us all doll chairs with my mother’s face on them (who had recently passed) and I plan on giving my daughters a charm for a necklace on their 8th birthdays of a chair.
EFY says
I love this! Do you have a tutorial on how to apply the vinyl? I realize it is adhesive, but can you put the whole word up at once or do you have to put up one letter at a time? For us wordy folks, that could get tedious. 🙂
Thanks!
Talulah says
There’s a tutorial of instructions for applying vinyl wall quotes at http://vinylwallexpressions.com, it’s in PDF format, but it shows step-by-step how it works. Here’s the direct link to the pdf: http://tinyurl.com/wallwords-tut
I’ve done it before and it can be a whole phrase that you peel and stick or you can do it one word at a time. The letters are on a backing tape that you peel and stick, so you can cut a long phrase wherever you want if you want to break it up into words. Hope that helps!
wendy says
I’ve been thinking about the family motto lately. I’ve always been impressed with Joseph Smith’s family and how much they loved eachother. I’ve often wondered how his mom did it. Also, my husband and I tend to keep to ourselves. We’re generally happiest just hanging out with family. As I’ve pondered this, the following came to my mind: ‘Family is the best kind of friends’. I have yet to put it on the wall, but I already love our motto!
Hear Mum Roar says
That is such a beautiful idea
.-= Hear Mum Roar´s last blog ..Remembering the birth of my son =-.
Vicki G says
What a fabulous idea. When I was reading this, I realized that I have the absolute perfect place for our family motto wall. How great – thank you!
Amy says
That’s fantastic!
Natalie Johnson says
I love the way you can implement this into your family’s lifestyle… especially in the disciplinary department. I have noticed that when we include our kids in the decision making process, they stick to the rules better. –I also love that you chant your theme together. We’ve done things similar to this after scripture stories. My little boys just ate it up when we cheered GO NEPHI! and GO AMMON!
Crystal says
Great way to display your family statement
I just posted about this very thing last week.
I guess it is all the rage. We have loved having this as part of our family and family tradition. We had a little song too, it is so fun to get your kids excited about the family they belong to. Even since revisiting our statement last week I find myself evaluating my actions in reference to the statement we created. I love the direction and focus it gives us.
readysetplan.blogspot.com/2010/05/family-mission-statement.html
Suzanne says
I’m waiting for my vinyl sayings to arrive. One is “Life isn’t a matter of milestones, but of moments.” and “Live Simple.Give More.Expect Less.”
Leiah says
Is there a confrence talk that goes along with having a family motto? I thought there was and have been trying to find it without any luck.
Amber says
HOBBY NOBBY is the perfect solution for your pre-cut vinyl!!! Tori is not only one of my favorite people, she is also super creative. {They offer pre-designed & custom vinyl phrases, images & art. As well as rents Cricut Cartridges & machines (TX). And they are now in Salt Lake City!!!} Check it out.
http://www.hobbyshare.blogspot.com
http://www.hobbynobby.com
214 771-1675
Su@The Intentional Home says
Hi Alison-
ok. . so I want to show you our family motto painting just cause it goes with your post so well. We too came up with words our family was about. .what made us unique. . our priorities and then took a huge canvas and crated a piece of art with those words.
you can check it out here:
http://theintentionalhome.blogspot.com/2009/04/additional-services-offered-by-su.html
and really I am so sending you this link because I think it fits in wonderfully with your post. . and I so want to link to your post and as soon as I do I will send you the post. . I just wanted you to get a grasp of my heart. . in no way am I trying to promote the sales of these paintings. . i want to promote families taking time and intentionally figuring out why they were put together. .what their purpose is. . .what they were created for as a family unit.
I enjoy your blog. . and because of you bought lots of vinyl from Expressions Vinyl. . .thanks for the time and energy you give your blog
warmly-
Su
.-= Su@The Intentional Home´s last blog ..Good Deal on Eggs and How to Perfectly Hard-boil One =-.
Annette says
I have a CraftRobo and I do these all the time for a local gift shop. I would love to be able to help you gals out if you need it.
Amy says
I know of a great vinyl lettering company. The gal who runs it is so graphically talented that she can almost design any graphic you wish and has so many font choices. The prices are unbelievable!
Her name is Elise and her company is If Walls Could Talk. IfWallsTalk.com and she said I could give out her email address [email protected].
jen doyle says
This is lovely. What a nice idea.
Heather says
I have a custom vinyl expression from Uppercase Living on the wall between my living room and kitchen. Every morning we stand under it before saying goodbye for the day and say, “Smile big, bring joy and make good choices.” That’s our family motto. And it ads such a personal touch to our home having that nicely displayed on our wall.
Amy says
I love it! It looks so great! A perfect idea for those BIG walls that are impossible to decorate. Thanks for the link too!
.-= Amy´s last blog ..Make Your Own Slushie! =-.
Gina says
My vinyl ladies are Diane and Erin over at Vinyl Gifts and More (http://vinylgiftsandmore.com). They are fantastic! They have great customer service, fast shipping, a very reliable product, and such cute ideas. I highly recommend them!
Leigh says
I love the idea.
My sister-in-law, Mary, does an awesome job with vinyl. http://www.polkadotthoughts.wordpress.com
Maren says
Very cute! I love that you can add to it!
Tori says
Thanks for the kind words Amber!!
We are big fans of do it yourself projects and love to help other moms find affordable and fun ways to create.
We would love to be of assistance for your vinyl needs. We offer custom and pre-designed designs. We can do small projects and very large projects!
We try very hard to make your designs affordable and only ship out our best work with the most quality products.
Let us know if we can be of service.
Tori-Hobby Nobby
214 771-1675
http://www.hobbynobby.com
http://www.hobbyshare.blogspot.com
http://www.hobbynobbyslc.blogspot.com
Kat says
You have a few vinyl ladies to choose from. Mine is in Alaska. Gina Ellis
http://razlexpressions.blogspot.com
meghan says
WoWzers. Awesome idea!
.-= meghan´s last blog ..It’s giveaway time!!!!!!!!!!!! ~WOO!!~ =-.
Megan says
I absolutely love your site! You have such cute ideas!! I have a growing list of things you’ve posted that I want to make for my home!
I also do vinyl lettering, though it looks as though you have several to choose from already! 🙂 I live in the Boise area and would love to help if you still need a “vinyl girl”. I have contact info as well as prices on my website. (www.stickitvinylexpressions.com)
Thank you for sharing all of your wonderful ideas with us!
Megan
Stick It! vinyl expressions
Pam says
I love your blog and I just started following you on Facebook. I noticed in this post that you were looking for a new vinyl company. My sisters and I run a business called Windmill Lettering. We have been doing it for a little more than a year but we love it and our business is growing. Our prices are very reasonable and we are reliable and honet. Check out our business! We would love it if you would recommend us to your readers.
Keep the fun ideas coming!
Thanks!
Pam
Three men and a Lady says
I love this wall!!! What a GREAT idea!!!
Mynelja says
That is great. We have been using this family motto for a few years now:
**And if one member suffers, all the other members suffer with it; or if a member is glorified, all the other members rejoice with it. ~1 Cor 12:26**
This covers so much for the family.
Lisa Mendez says
Love this idea and site. I am creating a wall of our family motto and was looking for ideas here. I am an independent demonstrator for Uppercase Living and would love to be considered as a referral for your site. My personal website is http://www.words4decor.com and I love the challenge of creating custom designs for customers. Thank you!
Lisa