impromptu Tin wall tutorial

I love finding inspiration online to try something new! Sometimes the glut of online tutorials can lead me to not want to try anything new until I figure out the perfect way to do it. (kind of my personality too, not wanting to make a mistake)  However, when T & I decided we wanted some metal on our wall, we just took the plunge & started putting it up there without much planning...and we really like it! Many thanks to Trent & Caleb. Here's a quick tutorial if you want to try something similar. It does leave holes in the wall which will require some spackling later...but spackling is cheap, not?  ( :

Step 1: Find a generous uncle. I know, easier said than done! We happen to have a lot of them. We were able to purchase some tin really reasonably from a relative whose neighbor was tearing down a barn. The tin was actually the roof sheeting (there are 2 sides to it for 2 different looks. We used the weathered galvanized side, but there is also a rusty side for a warmer look). You can also purchase it new in 8foot sheets. 

Step 2: Measure & Cut. This stuff is pretty forgiving. It's thin-we cut it with an angle grinder & used roofing screws to attach to the wall studs. Lay one piece over another & line up the perforations to speed up the process-then you will just need to cut the ends. If you use the 8foot pieces vertically with 8 foot ceilings, you may not have to cut at all-but we liked the stripes horizontal.

Be warned & be careful! At one point when T was cutting the angle grinder jumped & flew out of his hands against the garage door. Yeah. So cut carefully at your own risk. Ear protection & other safety gear is a must.

Step 3: Screw the tin sheets onto the wall.

Finished! And actually, due to a marital miscommunication 2 different walls got done! I'm glad, though, it looks good. But I don't even know why i mentioned that since no one else ever has miscommunications ( ;

A final step 4: Safety check. You can see some of the shiny spots here. T went through with his angle grinder & quickly ground down any places that felt sharp.

Side note: Jeremy pointed out that this makes for a magnetic wall. Fun for putting up easy-to-change decor & displaying pics.

Metal walls are an acquired taste? Grandpa, among others, amused me by repeating "that poor old barn....that pooooor old barn"! Apparently he did not think it a compliment to the barn to be repurposed into a housewife's dream dining room wall?! haha!

Have fun!

Sometimes Trent & I wonder if we spend too much time on projects like this, but it's really enjoyable, and when I see beauty & something that feels creative, I think of our creative God. It's just how I'm wired. If He came up with the amazingingly complex beauty in nature & people all around me, what will heaven be like? I love to think about Psalm 27:4, gazing on true beauty. Talk about perfection. This felt like a fun chance to make something that I love staring at during breakfast! What's something creative in your daily life that draws you to the Lord?