"Your Big Day!" frame

I love projects that are custom, one-of-a-kind! This project could be used for a wedding, birth of a baby, graduation day, or any other special date.  Here's what you'll need:

• 8x10 stretched canvas
• Mod Podge
• Paint brush
• Scissors
• Newspaper from the day of the special event (day of the wedding, day the baby was born, etc.)
• Photo

Cut out columns from your newspaper.  Making them different lengths adds character to the piece, in my opinion.

Paint a layer of Mod Podge onto the canvas & place pieces of newspaper in different directions.  Then paint a thin layer of Mod Podge around the edges of the newspaper to make sure it sticks well.

Do this to the entire canvas, including the edges.  Be careful not to use too much Mod Podge, or your paper will wrinkle.  But make sure you aren't too stingy with it, or it won't stick. 

Once the canvas is entirely covered with newspaper, paint the back of your photo with Mod Podge & place it in the center of the canvas.  Paint over the photo with Mod Podge.  Don't panic when it looks like this:

It will dry clear, I promise! Just have a little patience :)

And there you have it!! I spent $2.50 on the canvas at Hobby Lobby, $0.29 for a 4x6 photo, already had Mod Podge, paint brush, and scissors on hand...grand total of $2.79!  

Necklace Holder

This week’s project will be going in my walk in closet: a necklace holder! I suppose it could be used for anything really…key holder perhaps? But I don’t need a place for keys, I need a place for my necklaces…so that's what it shall be :)

First, you’ll need:

• 8x10 stretched canvas
• A piece of fabric that will wrap around your canvas
• Spray adhesive
• Mug hooks

 

Cut a piece of fabric that’s big enough to cover the front of your canvas & wrap around the sides to the back.  Cover your work surface with newspaper or cardboard, & spray your canvas with the adhesive.  Place your fabric onto the canvas & smooth out any wrinkles.  Allow 5-10 minutes for the adhesive to set.  Then flip your canvas upside down.  Choose two opposite sides, spray adhesive, and wrap the fabric:

 

 Take the two remaining sides & “wrap” them like a gift:

 

This allows for your corners to remain tight & smooth.

 

Once all the sides are wrapped, spray a final light coat of adhesive over the back & allow to dry according to the directions on the can.

 

The mug hooks are fairly easy to put on – they simply screw on with a little bit of pressure.

 

Your project is now ready to adorn your favorite necklaces! Total project cost:  $2.50 for the canvas, fabric & spray adhesive already on hand = $2.50!

 

Shopper's Tips

• You can get a 2 pack of 8x10 canvas at Hobby Lobby for $4.99
• Spray adhesive will be located with spray paint
• Don't forget to use your 40% off coupon at Hobby Lobby!

Textured Painting

First, let me say that I can barely draw a stick figure!! People always seem to assume if you are a crafty person that you are also an artist...let me be the first to tell you, this is not always the case.  But this project is perfect for all artist skill levels.

Let's start with the supplies you'll need:

·         Paint brushes

·         Paint (I used Americana, $0.99 a bottle at Hobby Lobby)

·         Plastic spoon

·         Modeling Paste (found in the art supplies section at Hobby Lobby...it's near canvas, oil paints, etc.)

·         Stretched canvas (I used 16x20)

·         Stencil (if you're not a Picaso

Open your modeling paste & a spoonful of it on your canvas.  Use the spoon to spread it around.  Remember, it's suppose to be textured.  So just keep working with it until you like the look of it.  Use the bottom of the spoon to distribute it around, and use the side of the spoon to make indentations.  This stuff takes quite a while to dry, so don't panic.  You'll have plenty of time to work it around on your canvas.

Let your canvas dry over night. 

I free handed a twig tree onto my canvas & then used a bird stencil on the branches.  I found it easiest to take a pencil & trace the stencil onto the canvas first.  Using the tracing as a template, I then painted it in. 

And there you have it! Now if you have some artistic ability, the possibilities of your paintings are endless...but for those "imparied" artists like myself, take comfort in knowing that the craft stores have quite a few stencils for us to choose from ;) You can always download clipart & print your own stencil as well!

My bathroom is done in black, beige & white with a theme of sparrows, so here's where I used my painting: