.80 Art

Yes. That's right. Eighty cents. I had this planned for a week or so, but seeing Traci's $4 Art on Beneath My Heart inspired me to get it going and complete this super easy project.

It all started on browsing trip through Trees and Trends. I so love that place! I rarely buy anything, but I get a ton of ideas on each visit. I saw this little plaque in blacks and grays that would be perfect for our new house. And I took a picture for you, but it does not want to come off of my phone. Hmm.

Anyway, it was $20. That's not bad, but I knew I could make something similar for less, AND I could finally I make use of a frame that had been collecting dust in the back of our bedroom for five years. Five.

Still has the $9.99 price tag on it, but I think I paid $5. It's a nice frame. Why didn't I ever use it? Well, this is rather embarassing, but I could never find five little pictures to fit. Um, just because there are five slots in that mat does not mean I have to place five pictures there!! When I started taking it apart I found that the "mat" was really just a piece of flimsy poster board. I pride myself on seeing what something could be instead of just what it is, but it took me five years to see that in this simple frame.

Okay, so here is what I did. I found four papers in blacks and grays with a subtle pattern. They were 5/$1, hence the eighty cents. I measured the cardboard insert of the frame (22") and divided that number by 6, the number of letters I needed (FAMILY). Then I cut my papers to size, adding a little to the width so I could overlap the papers and eliminate gaps.
Next I started placing my papers. I started with the F and Modge Podged it to the cardbowrd that came with the frame, then moved to the Y, then back to the A, and so forth. I did it this way so that the overlaps would be evenly dispersed and not bulk up at the end. I also measured over the exact width each space should be so I would know how far over to overlap. You could probably do it by eye, but I did not trust myself to get it even.

Then I had to cut my letters. And, no, I did not use my Cricut. I know, I'm shocked, too. I don't have a font in the style I wanted. So I had to do things the hard way-by hand. I printed the letters from word in the size and font I wanted, then cut them out. I traced them onto some cream and black paper I already had and then cut them out again. One tip: flip the letters over and trace the reverse so your pencil marks won't show.
I Modge Podged again, then coated everything in a final coat.

This morning when I woke up, it had dried to this!

Love it. I think I already know where I will put it. I chose not to put the glass back in the frame because I wanted the plaque look. Not sure what I will do with that, but I'm sure I'll come up with something.

And in other altered projects....
I asked for and received this frame/art piece for my bitrhday last week. It's from Pier 1. My mom was a little confused, she said, and couldn't decide if it was the right one or not, as the style is really not me. Then she realized I was planning to paint it. Yep! In oil rubbed bronze. Yum. So I did, and this is the after.


So much better. I have no idea what pictures will go there, but it's going in the kitchen on the wall created by the back staircase (yes, the new house has TWO staircases). So when at things for your home, consider what things can be, not just what they are.

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