Binge v. Budget: Canvases

Image Credit {diyideas.com}

I went to go buy some canvases for the wall art collages in Ben's mancave.  I took Ben with me because I was getting some pretty large canvases and needed his large manly arms to carry them through the store for me.  (He did very well at this task except for when we got to the registers and he turned abruptly towards me to ask me a question and hit me in the face with them.)  He gasped quite loudly and protested greatly when we walked around the corner and he saw a 16x20" canvas on sale for $50. 
I quickly explained that this was the professional grade, heavy duty, gallery wrapped canvas....we were going for the cheap stuff - back stapled, on sale, and about  $20 (sale price) for a 24x48" canvas.  If you are a professionally trained artist and you are planning on doing high-end works of art worthy of the MoMA then by all means get the professional high quality canvas.

However, if you are like me and just dabble in DIY wall art made on the cheap so you don't feel guilty when you swap it out in six months, then I suggest you get the cheap stuff.  Here are some fun article ideas for DIY wall art on canvas.

• Paint Four Separate Canvases
• Enlarge Textbook Copy on Canvas
• Homemade wall decorations with canvas
• My chair to canvas project

Project Pictures - Practicing with Mod Podge

 I have been wracking my brain and searching the Internets to figure out how to achieve the look I wanted for the wall art in Ben's man cave.  I wanted to mount the pictures from the University of Maryland on canvas and then hang the canvases on the feature wall of his room.

When I searched the Internet there were many websites that had snarky answers such as, "Why would you want to mount a photo on a canvas?  Why wouldn't you just have the photo printed on the canvas?"  I had basically given up on the idea and just decided to do the collage in giant frames from the craft store.

Luckily at the homemade gift exchange last Friday my friend introduced me to the little product known as Mod Podge.  I am not quite sure how I have made it this long without knowing what Mod Podge is, but am I glad she let me know about it!  I searched Mod Podge the other day and found that there are many how to articles on how to mount photo's to canvas with it.

digitalscrapbookplace.com had a lovely tutorial on making art on canvas.  They used one print out to cover the entire canvas.  Check it out for lovely ideas for canvas art.

ehow.com had many articles on how to use Mod Podge on canvas.  They say to use the fabric kind to mount things on canvas.

For my test run I simply used the matte finish regular kind.  I used an old canvas and painted it blue with left over latex wall sample paint.  I then took pictures of my niece, nephew, and dad to make a canvas "scrapbook page"  for my dad and mom.

I didn't do the most perfect job on it - some of the pictures are mounted crookedly.  I really just wanted to get an idea of how the product would work.  I was pleased with how easy it was to use, how it adhered the photos to the canvas, and how the finish looked.  I believe I have found the technique I am going to use...now to plan out the canvases themselves.

Man Cave Madness

Here is my inspiration board so far for Ben's man cave project.  Ben is all but twitching from all the color infusion going on around our house.  I want this room to be for his comfort and enjoyment while also being accessible to guests.  I think I am going to go with a monochromatic room in two shades of gray on the walls and with a white media center and black denim recliners. 

Man Cave by shoeaddictthriving on Polyvore.com
Not the typically tacky man cave - an eclectic collection of traditional sideboard, flat screen TV, sheepskin rugs, and modern recliners.

I want to incorporate Ben's interests without the room getting too themed or kitschy.  Also, since the TV and furniture are going to be big ticket items I want to do the decor and accessories in the room on a tight budget.  I am going to do a series of collages for the wall art from University of Maryland yearbooks I have been collecting from flea markets and EBay.  I am using the photos of buildings and the sports section of each yearbook.  I am also trying to think of something that can incorporate the University of Maryland red in the room without being overwhelming. 

I have a couple more project ideas that I need to develop, but I feel like the man cave inspiration and plan is mostly in place.  Next I need to plan out when this will all start happening.

Homemade Gift Exchange

I recently participated in a homemade gift exchange with my friends.  We agreed to make or buy gifts for each other for a $10 limit.  I decided to make scarves for everyone doing different color / pattern combinations for each girl.

I took a basic pattern and then changed it up for each one to make a different pattern of stripes.

My friend Mrs. Oomph was a part of the gift exchange and made these awesome book page wreaths for us.  I actually had these on my list of projects to try, but a whole lot of deadline projects were way ahead of trying to make them.  I immediately picked the tiny one featuring an adorable owl ornament and it looks perfect in my room.

Despite the questionable literature featured on the leaves it is an awesome, unique, and handmade treasure that I love!

Spray Paint - Why I love it and why I feel like a criminal when I buy it.

I love spray paint.  I received a gift card to the Depot of the orange and white logo for Christmas and thought about what I could get with it.  I decided on spray paint because I can always use spray paint.  I love it.  It makes for a quick update on items around your house. It is easy to use, dries quickly, and goes a long way to breath new life into old things.  I always feel like a criminal when I buy it though.  You may think to yourself, "Why would she feel like a criminal?  Maybe that's guilt coming up...maybe she is a criminal!"  All not true, however, the depot treating it like a controlled substance may have something to do with it.

I always feel a little conspicuous at the depot anyways.  I come in with my knee-high boots, crazy patterned tights, girly dress, and a feathered headband in my hair.  The male population of that store always approach with a John Wayne strut....hitching up their belts to cover more of their belly they saunter over.  I can practically hear the spurs in my mind as they say, "Anything I can help you with little lady?"  At first the feminist in me bristles at the "little lady", but then I realize that I am a lady compared to the normal clientele and I am quite little.  Maybe they are just literalists. 

 

I quickly say no and make a beeline to the paint department.  I know my way around the paint department.  Like I said before I use paint all the time.  (Especially spray paint - like the dining room chair I redid by spraying straw flower yellow.)  I quickly go to the spray paint part of it and start grabbing what I want/need.   Now here is where I start to feel a little conspicuous.  They sort of follow me over as if the thought of a woman in the depot not needing help is out of the realm of reality, or maybe they just noticed I didn't have a basket and think I may need help carrying stuff as my arms are tiny and practically useless much like a T-Rex.  Whatever their reasons I can't help but feel watched, and when I feel watched in a store I feel like they think I am up to no good. 

I worry that they are going to see me grabbing spray paint cans, remember that I am in the store several times getting more and more spray paint, and then somewhere out there will be a person who decides to graffiti this...



{Image Credit: morganico-com.deviantart.com}

...and they will totally think it is me!  So feeling watched, my arms full of spray paint cans, imagining the cat graffiti someone will finger me for I begin my way to the checkout.  I prefer going to self checkout whenever I can and so I go over and begin to scan my items.  As I swipe the first can the self checkout kiosk blares out, "Assistance needed.  Must show ID to purchase this item."  I have to then wait and try not to fidget out of impatience - fidgeting makes you look extra crime-y.  Finally the Grand Poobah of the self checkout section comes over and allows me to check out the rest of my items.

I always feel as I make my way out to the car a small thrill - like I got away with something.  It takes me a few seconds to remember that I am just buying spray paint to paint my old wall art a different color. 







Tip for Tuesday: Fake it



Chair from Arhaus furniture


I decided that I am sick of buying generic wall art even if I get it cheap from somewhere.  I figure... even though I don't really know what I am doing.... I can fake it.  I recently made a series of wall art for my kitchen makeover.  I was inspired by a new chair with a unique pattern that my husband let me get for our anniversary.  I really wanted to tie in the pattern, colors, and feel of the chair into my whole living space.  I started by taking pictures of different "pieces" of the pattern that I liked.    I got these photos printed in the size of the canvases I was going to paint on.  I got a cheap 10 pack of canvases for about $10 at Michael's for this.  I probably could have achieved the same look by just framing the prints, but I love the texture that canvas and real paint add.

I then traced the larger shapes and parts of the pattern onto tracing paper in order to make a stencil.  I used an exacto knife to cut out pieces of my homemade stencil and then traced the overall shapes onto the canvases.  For example: in the following picture I first cut out the "meat" of the bulb and the stem shapes.   You can see on the left where the red arrows are pointing on the photo.  I after I had the basic shapes traced on the canvas I added in the details by hand.  As you can see the patchwork pattern on the largest part of the bulb is not remotely the same, but it still gives the overall appearance and feel of the original pattern.  

For paint I had already purchased sample interior latex paints from colors in the pattern to decide what colors to carry over onto the kitchen walls.  I used the sample paints to paint in the details of the patterns.  I ended up doing at least two coats of each color.  The paints cost about $3 each for a total cost of $39.  I would have used regular acrylic paints, but didn't want the sample paints I had already purchased to go to waste.  In total the project cost me $49 and gave me a large statement wall in the kitchen.

It took me about 2 hours to complete each canvas.  The latex paint dried fast and I was able to start the second coat as soon as I had finished the first coat.  When I finished all of my canvases I just arranged and re-arranged them on the floor in front of the wall they were going on until I had what I wanted. 

For those that will look at this and say, "I am not artsy at all.  I don't know how to paint."  Try this for a similar look.  Get stencils of patterns at your local art/craft store.  Stencil the patterns on various canvases and then paint them in.  (If you want to do it really fast you can use spray paint or roll one color on with a mini roller!)  You can do the same pattern with the canvases facing different ways like above or you can really mix it up and paint the pattern in a variety of colors and color combinations to make your own one of a kind wall art.  

You don't have to be a trained artist to have original art hanging on your walls - just fake it with confidence.  If you have any suggestions of DIY wall art add it in the comments!