DIY Nautical Rope Frame

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How can you possibly thank the man that made you a Mother? How is it possible to let him know that you are beyond thankful everyday to have him as the Father of your children?

Our journey to becoming parents was not easy, to say the least. This man that is standing next to me in the photo below is my anchor. Throughout our nearly four year struggle of trying to bring a baby home, he never wavered, he stayed positive, and kept me calm as our world seemingly fell apart over-and-over.

Over those years we would often seek refuge at the beach. We would stroll along side of the ocean and talk about our struggle, our fears, and sometimes even dare to dream that we would one day be able to bring our own child with us to the beach.

Then, one day in July 2012, my husband was finally right. It happened. We became parents.

With emotions running high, we welcomed our first living son into this world. That beautiful I went from just a woman to a mother, and he turned into a Father that day. Thirteen and a half (very short) months later we became parents again.

We now have two beautiful little boys that are the center of our world.

There really is no way to thank this man. He is an amazing Father, just as I always knew he would be if we were lucky enough to have kids. He is everything to our family, and continually sacrifices to make sure that we are taken care of and have everything we need.

Since the ocean is often where we sought refuge from the chaos of our everyday life, I decided that I would make him a Father’s Day gift that embraced the beach and Fatherhood all-in-one.

I created a cute 8″x10″  photo collage with pictures of my husband with the boys from birth and currently and had it printed at a local print shop.

DIY Nautical Rope Frame

To create the DIY nautical rope frame I picked up an 8″x10″ wood photo frame (similar to this one) and these supplies:

– Aqua spray paint

– fine grit sandpaper

– staple gun & staples

– nautical jute rope

1. First, I removed the frame backing and glass.

2. Then, lightly sanded the wood frame by hand to allow the spray paint to better adhere to it.

3. Next, I sprayed the frame with the aqua spray paint with one coat, ensuring to cover all nooks and crannies.

4. I allowed it to dry for the recommended time on the spray paint can (about 10-15 minutes).

5. After the frame was dried I went back over it with the sandpaper once more – very lightly! This step is to give the frame an authentic distressed look.

6. Next, I attached the rope to the back of the frame with a staple gun.

7. I wrapped the rope around the frame three times on each side, stapling along the way.

8. Lastly, I added another piece of rope to the top of the frame to act as a hanger.

 I added in my photo collage and that’s it!

I absolutely love how this came out!! I feel like it really captures the vibe of our life in one 8″x10″ frame. I think my husband is really going to love this Father’s Day gift, too.

To complete his nautical themed Father’s Day gift, I picked up an amazing smelling Nautica Life Gift Set from Macy’s. This cologne is a refined and romantic blend of uplifting freshness, mysterious aromatics, and seductive woods, which I think fits my husband perfectly!

The Nautica Life Gift Set comes with: 3.4 oz Eau de Toilette, 2.5 oz Aftershave Balm, 2.5 oz Shower Gel, and 1 oz Eau de Toilette. At only $65 that’s a pretty awesome value!

You can purchase this awesome Nautica Life Gift set for the Dad in your life at Macy’s.

You can also enter to win some amazing Nautica Life prizes (winners must be 18+):

– 1 Grand Prize Winner will win a $4,000 Cruise Vacation Package

– 5 Second Place Winners will win a Nautica Men’s Fragrance Gift Package

Nautica for Dad