DIY Art

A few weeks ago I hosted a girls night art party where you have someone come and walk you through painting your own piece of art. It was super easy and lots of fun. For $25 this is what I created.

I think it's fitting that I have it over an old church pew from my Grandaddy.

A Great Find

We have too much big, dark furniture for our living room...sofa, love seat, over sized chair and ottoman, etc. So I decided to start looking for two smaller chairs to replace the over sized one. I moved the love seat into the office to free up more space. I didn't want to spend a lot with three small kids who will tear it up so I started looking at second hand shops and online. A neighbor told me about a friend of hers that was selling two wing back chairs. They were just what I was looking for except they were green velvet! Now I'm not opposed to vintage but I just couldn't handle the dark green. I found fabric at Hancock for half off and a lady that does detailed slip covers. She only charged me $50 per chair!! Here's the before and after.

 

Personalized Art Set

My daughter loves to draw and paint so every year I've started giving her an art set. The ones at Michaels serve the purpose ($3.99 when on sale). I decided last year to personalize the set by covering it with scrapbook paper and Mod Podge. It's a very simple way to dress it up. I also buy the notebook and cover it to match. I just finished the set for Olivia this year. Makes for a nice kid's birthday gift too. And you will have less than $10 in it total!

 Another idea is to cover a clipboard with scrapbook paper and Mod Podge. Olivia uses this one to do her homework sheets on.

Cabinet Door Serving Tray

I've been wanting to do something with a cabinet door for a while and finally got my inspiration on Pinterest. Someone had taken a cabinet door, stenciled it and used it for a serving tray. I decided to use...you guessed it, scrapbook paper and Mod Podge instead. I found this door at Habitat Restore for $4. 

In the paint section of Home Depot they have what's called "oops paint" that people return. You can find some really good deals! I found this sample paint for $1.50 and thought I'd try it. After painting a few coats on the door I used Mod Podge to glue the scrapbook paper to the recessed area of the door. Once it was dry I covered the paper with several coats of Mod Podge, allowing dry time between each coat. I always apply Mod Podge with a foam brush and even applied the paint with one as well. I spray painted these old drawer pulls and drilled holes on each end to install them (they come with the screws you need). 

And here's the finished product! I'm so excited about this one!! I have it on our end table in the living room right now for a pop of color. 

Kids Table and Chairs

We've had this table and chairs from Ikea for a while. When we purchased it we painted it white. I decided the other day to add some color to it with scrapbook paper. I cut the pieces to fit the back slats on the chairs. Then used Mod Podge to glue the paper to the chair. Once it was dry I put two more coats of Mod Podge on top. I used the same paper that I covered the soup can with. Very cute and super easy!

Chalkboard Trays

I found these great silver trays at Dollar Tree. Using chalkboard paint found at Michaels for $.89 I painted the inside of the tray. First I outlined the edge with a small craft brush then used a foam brush for the rest. I found that doing a few coats in different directions worked best. Once it was dry I hot glued a bow on the top. The bow can be changed out with the holidays or to match your decor. I have my tray on an easel in the foyer with "Merry Christmas" written in chalk. Later I'll change the bow and write "Welcome". You could also display it in the kitchen with the weekly dinner menu.

Mixed Media Art

I am no artist, but decided to try my hand at making a mixed media piece. I found this great acrylic craft paint at Hobby Lobby that comes in metallic colors. I used Worn Penny to paint the canvas with. Then the kids and I went outside and found a few tree branches. I used needle and thread to sew and secure the branch to the canvas. Never really thought about stitching on canvas but it totally worked! I have this old dictionary and I cut out pages in the shape of leaves. Next I used (you guessed it) Mod Podge to glue the leaves to the canvas. Another layer of Mod Podge on the top sealed the paper. Across the bottom I used torn dictionary pages with the definitions of beautiful, creation, earth and faithful. I painted a thin layer of paint over the pages on the bottom. I had a few Scrabble tiles that I hot glued down the side to spell "Nature". Maybe I'll get better over time but I loved the finished product and it was perfect for my half bath.