Nursery Wall Art {Get it Done Already}

 

I'm hoping that Nan has inspired you all to Get it Done Already with those cute throw pillows. I was actually at a Walmart over the weekend and spied some similar fabric that she used for those pillows and then had to remind myself that I already have a looooong list of things I need to get done!

Top of my list: Nursery Wall Art

 

I've had a sign similar to this one pinned on my "Must Craft Soon" board for a long time now. This last summer I made strides by getting my hands on a uber cheap cabinet door and thought, "this is what I will use for my sign." Then the door sat. And sat. I got a cute shade of teal paint. And it sat. And sat.

 

Then the gal I borrowed the paint from needed it back {I'd had it since December} So I painted it really quick and as it sat drying I realized I needed some more supplies to finish the project and so it sat....and sat.

 

A few months {yep months} later I got the supplies that wanted and moved foreword with the lettering. I used the trusty Silhouette to cut out my letters. Goodness I love that thing! I'm one of those crafters that needs to get it done right the first time or I don't do it at all. Be sure to measure your board to figure out height & spacing of the letters. I also like to use scrap pieces of paper to get a little closer to those measurements and lay it out before I move forward with cutting.

 

After cutting out my letters {keep the stencil part of the paper!!!!} I created the layout like I wanted it.

 

Then I stenciled {see you are going to use that paper} the letters on with a pencil....can you see it or is it too faint?

 

 

Then ....and this the BIG secret to perfect hand lettering. Get a paint pen and retrace the stencil. The paint pen creates a great outline. Be sure to test it out on a piece of paper before writing on the actual sign. After it's dry take your paint & a small brush and fill in the letters.

After I did this the sign was well...technically finished, but I was contemplating ageing it to make it look vintage and then I thought maybe I should create some kind of a knot to place through those two holes on the bottom {where the handle used to be} the sign then....yep you guessed it....sat for a few more months while I tried to decide what to do.

I guess this post could be re-labeled as "Get it Hung Up Already" because after weighing my options to age or not to age {which if you are going to age a sign you need to have that in mind before you even paint - if you want it done right} and realizing that I could be making a perfectly cute sign ugly {you can't go back after you age a piece.} I decided to leave it be and hang it up.

 

So there you go. After months and months it's done and up and I love it!

Do you have a craft that needs to get done? Get it Done Already and join us at the end of the series for a linky party where you can show it off!!

1 Ugly Painting 2 Cute Crafts : Canvas Sign

 

Remember this little bad boy I got a yard sale? Remember Part One of our transformations? Are you ready for part 2?

Well, grab that canvas & lets start making our:

 

 

 

Along with your canvas you will need:

Sandpaper

Scrapbook paper (5-8 12x12 sheets)

Vinyl Letters

 (I have a Silhouette cutter that I cut my letters with, but you can buy vinyl letters in any craft store)

Mod Podge

Sponge brush

Black Spray Paint

 

Here is our canvas! You want to sand down all of those leafy trees & happy clouds so the canvas has a smooth{er} surface. No need to sand the picture away because you are going to cover it anyways.

 

Once sanded you will apply your scrapbook paper to the canvas. Put a thin layer of mod podge on the back of the paper to make it stick and then brush mod podge over the top to seal it to the canvas. Now here is where you are going to let your creative juices flow. I wanted a bright/hippie-ish vibe with mine so I stuck with a color theme & chose a few different patterned papers. I ripped those papers and layered them over each other {with the exception of the top & a slight crack that got left open, but it worked out just fine, so ...I'm just going to say that I planned it that way} I used a Mod Podge with an antique finish on it because I wanted to add a bit of shabby-chic/vintage with my bright/hippie look.

{TIP}If you want an antique look, but don't want to buy antique mod podge? Coffee stain it. Get an old cup of strong coffee and after you have applied your scrapbook paper paint on the old coffee to the degree of brownness {is that even a word?} you want.

{TIP} I would suggest that you cover the entire canvas with scrapbook paper. It was late at night for me and I had limited coordinating papers to work with so I left a boarder of canvas around my paper. Cover it all, don't leave a boarder. I will point out why later on in the post.

 

Measure your canvas & figure out how large you want your letters. I wanted "home" to be the biggest and "you" to be the next. Pull out the ruler & start making notes. If you are like me, you want to get it right the first time!

{TIP} I cut pieces of scrap paper to the size that I want to make sure everything will fit when gauging how large letters should be. You don't have to cut each and every letter. Squares in the sizes that you want work out fine for figuring out spacing & room.

{TIP} Use vinyl that you don't want/like/need anymore/mismatched colors/on sale - you will see why later on.

 

Apply your vinyl letters

 

{TIP} I like to apply letters or words starting with the top and then doing the bottom, leaving the middle for last. I find that helps me with my spacing. Same thing for the letters in the words. When applying the "YOU" I did the O first so I could use the space wisely with the Y & U.

 

 

Now you have your sign and as you can see I ran out of vinyl & had to use some other pieces I had on hand. It really doesn't matter because once you have it on a tarp or drop cloth you will......

 

Spray paint the whole thing black. Yep. Cover that baby up with black, black, black. I wish I had taken a picture of Mr. S when I told him I was taking it out to spray paint it! He didn't know what I was doing, but I'll show you the method to my madness

{TIP} Do this step at night. That way you can let it dry and air out for a nice long time instead of anxiously testing it to see if it's still tacky. Spray it. Sleep and wake up to a nice, dry & less stinky canvas in the morning. Be sure to keep it away from timed sprinklers, neighborhood cats & trees that are dropping leaves.

In the morning bring it in and start peeling that vinyl off {you use and throw away alot of vinyl in this project} Do you see the awesomeness underneath??

I'm really happy with the two triple toned effect I got by layering papers and accidentally leaving a gap for the original painting to show through. I don't even mind the spray paint that eeked underneath the letter. It gives it that vintage/hippie/shabby chic effect that I wanted.

Please note: by leaving the canvas border and even doing multiple layers of paper will make your canvas uneven when looked at up close...do you see it. So cover your entire canvas and if you are using multiple papers be aware it won't be even, but still look uniform with that black paint.

And when you peel it all off you are left with this......

 Your canvas sign! Love it! Cherish it! Show it off to everybody that comes to your house! I'm debating on how to hang it. Part of me wants to use those tacky wall cling things so it's just mod and hanging there. Another part of me wants to attach ribbon and hang it with that - any input would be most appreciated.

 

So happy to share this with you and I would be excited to see if any of you do it!

If you make a sign PLEASE brag about it and post it on our She Said Facebook wall so I can smother you with compliments!

 

Missed out on Part 1 of our Ugly Painting remodel? Check out what I did with frame HERE

Can you feel the love tonight?

There is something about rainy days that bring out the crafting bug in me. It is cold, wet & dreary outside but inside it can be warm, happy & crafty! So today, this rainy, wet day - I share with you a craft...a fun {slightly naughty}craft.

I made this for a dear friend of mine for her bridal shower and since June or "The Month of Marriage" is just around the corner I thought you would enjoy a quick, easy & fun shower gift!

This double sided pillow is easy to make and is great at re-purposing items you have around the house.

"The Honeymoon Pillow"

One side says Tonight

The other side says Not Tonight

Great right? Are you already thinking of who to make one for {maybe it's yourself!} Let's get to it!

You will need:

Pillow to re-cover or pillow form

Fabric {I actually used a large shirt for the pillow pictured. It was the perfect shade of gray & it was very soft} you will need to have enough fabric to cover your pillow.

Sewing Machine

Wax Paper

Silhouette HD (or an exact-o knife)

Iron & Ironing Board

fabric paint & sponge brush

1. Make a simple pillow cover. Place the right sides of the fabric together sewing three sides.

2. Slip the pillow inside of the cover and either hand stitch it closed or -in my case the fabric was stretchy enough - sew it closed edges tucked in to create the finished side.

3. On your Silhouette HD (sorry I don't own the Cameo) Open a new file. Choose your text option. Pick the text you want. Make the text size large enough for your pillow space (I wish I would have made my text larger).

You will then need to flip your text backwards: Open your Replicate Window {upper right}. Then choose Mirror Left. This will make your text go backwards & delete the original text...yes you want the backwards text, trust me.

 Pick the "thin media" option, blue blade tip and load your wax paper {wax side up} onto your sticky mat. And cut.

*3. {For those who don't have a Silhouette} On your computer, open a word document and create your text words in the font & size that you want. Attach your wax paper {wax side down} to your screen. This will create a light box effect. Trace your letters with a pencil and then exact-o knife them out on a cutting board. *Remember the more detailed or fancy the font is the more detailed your cuts will have to be.*

You can get rid of the actual letters, but be sure to keep all the little pieces, like the insides of the "e" or "o" for the next step.

4. Place your pillow on the ironing board and place the wax paper {wax side down} onto your pillow (your words shouldn't be backwards now). Press a warm iron down on your wax paper. The heat of the iron will melt the wax of the paper and create a temporary bond. Don't forget to iron on the dots that create the centers of "e"'s or "p"'s etc.

5. Once the stencil is in place on the pillow you can brush on the paint to evenly cover the words. Be sure to have full coverage with the paint, but don't push it too much with the outer edges {sometimes the paint will sneak under the edge and it won't look clean}.

6. Let dry. Once the paint is set {it can be a little tacky} pull off the wax paper and Ta-Da! You have your wording.

7. I had some extra scraps of fabric and created flowers and flower buds for my pillow. Mine were really simple, but I recently found a great gathering of fabric flower tutorials on Kojo Designs.

There you have it! Put it on your bed or put it in a gift bag! Enjoy!

I know I made this kind of a quick tutorial if you have questions please feel free to ask or e-mail at shesaidblog@yahoo.com