6 TN Hills: Arrow of Light Plaques

When Cub Scouts in 5th grade cross over to be Boy Scouts, there is normally a formal ceremony hosted by the Cub Scout pack. The Boy Scout leaders and some scouts from the new troop will even come to the ceremony to "receive" them into their new troop. Most Scouts even receive some type of gift during it.

When Andrew crossed over last spring, he received an arrow because he had received his Arrow of Light award. Andrew loved that arrow and promptly taped it to his bedroom wall. Since February, I have looked at it, thinking there had to be a better way of showcasing that arrow.

Then, I saw what I had been looking for. Pinterest to the rescue again! Another Scout mom posted on her blog, directions on how to make this pine wood arrow of light to hang their arrows from. The yellow vinyl sticker was purchased from an Etsy shop called DefineYourSign. They were only $4.00 each which is a great deal considering I don't have the software to make and print the vinyls. The Carbajals blogpost was reposted on Pinterest. It was exactly what I was wanting. Now, the biggest problem was my lack of skills and huge fear of using a circular saw. I have always been interested in completing woodworking projects but didn't know how to use the tools. Jason encouraged me to watch plenty of YouTube videos instructing even beginners like me how to be safe with this machine. I followed his advice and came away with a tad bit of encouragement that I could do it but an even bigger fear of making mistakes resulting in a lost limb or even death.

I purchased a 1"' x 6" x 8" pine board and all my supplies at The Home Depot and set up my work space in my garage. Jason wouldn't be able to help me because he was out of town for the weekend. The first cut went well and was quite easy. I was scared to death but did it! After that initial cut, the others became easier and overall the whole project was finished pretty fast. The longest part was waiting for the multiple poly clear coats to dry. The finished product was well worth the wait. The boys all love them. Now, I just need Ethan to complete all his requirements to receive his Arrow of Light award by next February. I even made one for Caleb for the future. He has only 6 more years before he could receive his award but that's okay. It's better to have it just in case than to have to go make another one later.

Jason thought I did so well that I should sell them. The cost and time involved is pretty small compared to other projects that I've done. Maybe, I will. I think I'll show one to Ethan's Cub Scout Leaders first and see what they say, then go from there. Who knows, I might even start an Etsy account and sell them there one day.