In this episode of Offbeat Columbus, I will be talking about Gay Hitler, The Stay in Place Order Protesters, The Marion Man who has become infamous for dying of Covid-19, News about falling crime stats related to the Stay in Place Order, The Real Estate Flashback House of the Week from the past and giving a shout out to Columbus Capeless Hero Cecily King.
Here are Cecily's instructions for making your own freeway signs to keep her movement going!
How to make freeway signs
Get some bedsheets at the thrift store - any size, any color, any pattern. Flats are easier, but if you use fitted, you just need to cut out the elastic.
Fold them in half. This is for strength and also so you can use both sides. If you have a fitted sheet, this is when you cut the elastic out. Sew the open edges closed. If you don’t sew, hot glue might work, but I haven’t tried it yet.
Either grommet the corners and a couple spots on the edges; or sew a small circle or triangle about 4-6 times over in those spots. If you’re sewing it, cut a little hole in the middle. These are your fence attachment points. I do all four corners, and 2-4 on the long side, 1-2 on the short side depending on the size of the sheet. Twins don’t usually need a short side middle grommet.
Spray paint what you would say to the person you love most when they’re ready to call it on life. Or what someone who loves you said to you. Short is best. Hit both sides, for the people driving over and under. You can use another waterproof paint if you have time for it to dry. If you’re not using spray paint, I recommend painting before sewing, to avoid bleed through that makes it unreadable. If you are using spray paint, you can paint after sewing, and you’ll get a little bleed through, but not too much if you use a light hand and layer the paint.
Zip tie it to the fence of a freeway overpass. If you need to climb up on the barrier to get it high enough, I recommend putting one foot outside the handrails and one foot inside for balance and safety. Double zip tie the corners for durability.
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Each sheet needs about 10-18 zip ties, depending on size. It’s a good idea to have a box cutter or scissors with you, in case you place one weird, so you can adjust. We lay them out across the handrail first, to make sure we don’t have a pole blocking a zip tie point we need. I put a kiss and a prayer on my fingers and press it into the sign before I leave. You don’t need to do that, but you can.
Get it up and roll out.
-Cecily