Awesome Find: Faux Vinyl Wall Stickers

Wall Stickers

(Found it at the Dollar Store) whoop! whoop!

cost = $1

They have lots of different designs. 

Here are some of the ones that I bought...

This was one of my favorite...



Do you remember the faux vinyl project that I did?

(click this link to see the how to)

 I added a wall sticker to it...oooo...so pretty.

I also moved a hutch that I had in the kitchen into the room to help take up some wall space.

I got this hutch on the side of the road...marked free. 

 I spray painted it with black spray paint. 

It took about 2 cans.

Total for this grouping $5

faux vinyl $2

wall sticker $1

Hutch - FREE

spray paint $2

Grand Total = $5

stay tuned to see what happens to the hutch:)

"stick" around...lol

mileka:)

Faux Tin Star (cardboard)

Faux Tin Stars

I totally love tin stars.  I've always wanted them...but as usual...I don't want to pay for them.

So...of course I figured out how to do it for free (using what I already had).

They are made from...cardboard.  One of my all time favorite supplies.

cost = FREE
(already had everything I needed)

Supplies Needed:

• cardboard
• pencil
• ruler
• box cutter/exacto/etc.
• tape
• newspaper
• school glue/mod podge
• paint (spray paint or acrylic)
• sand paper

 1. Find a pattern of a star that you like.  print it out (or just draw one).  I found this one on yahoo images.  There are lots of different types and styles.  I like the chunky ones.
Cut it out and tape it down.

2.  Find the center of your star and draw lines out BEYOND each point (if you want to enlarge your pattern like I did.  I did a 2:1 ratio.  The long points are double the size of the shorter points (I measured the long lines at 8 inches beyond my pattern and the short lines 4 inches beyond my pattern).

3.  poke a hole through the center of the star.

 4.  remove the star.

5. connect the lines through the center hole.

6.  connect the outside points.

7. Cut out the star. 
Score each long line of each star. 
Turn the star over. 
Redraw the lines and from the score all the short lines (on the under side).

8.  Bend the star so that the long lines are raised and the short lines are indented to create a 3D effect.

9. "Scrunch" your star so that it is the height that you want it and trace it onto another cardboard.

(p.s...the hairy arm is not mine...lol...guess who:)

Note: depending on the size and shape of your star you may need to trim the points at the short lines to get it to lay flat.

How to trim:  locate short line point measure in (1/2 to 1 inch in).  From that point, draw a line to the long line point.  Cut the trim line.  Repeat this process all the way around the star.  

This will help your star to lay flat.

10.  Cut out the 2nd star (it is the backboard) and will be smaller than star#1.

11.  Tape each long line (outside points) of star #1 to star #2.

12.  Also tape each short line (inside points).

it should look like this.  See how it's raised....ooo.

13.  Paper mache/mod podge one layer newspaper onto the front of the star
(the paint will take to the newspaper better than the cardboard...and it will help to hide your tape). 
I use white school glue watered down with a little water to thin it out to do this.

14.  Let it dry and then paint it black.  I spray painted these.  You could also use acrylic paint.

15.  After it was dry, I sanded each raised edge (the long lines) and around the outside edges.

Tada

They have texture and character. 

I really like the way that they turned out.

I made a bunch of different sizes for variety.

If you want to hang them all you have to do is make a hole in the back star (star #2) and hang it on a picture hook, screw, nail, or push pin...whatever you fancy.

mileka:)

How To: Chunky Distressed Frames (cardboard)

How To: Chunky Distressed Frames

Made from....CARDBOARD

cost = FREE

Supplies needed:

• cardboard boxes
• tape measure/ruler
• tape
• box cutter (if needed to adjust box size)
• mod podge/school glue
• newspaper
• paint brush (preferably foam)
• acrylic paint
• screw
• screw driver/drill
• Velcro

This is a Mac and Cheese box I got from Walmart. 

I cut it in half.

1. I cut up the sides to create flaps. 

I measured it so that when I folded and tucked in the flaps it would create a box.

I taped the flaps on the inside of the box.

(you might get lucky and find boxes that are exactly the size you want...I wasn't so lucky.

If you can't find it...make it!)

2. Then I used my home made mod podge to apply one layer of newspaper onto the outside of the box.

(I like to do this because the newspaper absorbs the paint better then the cardboard box.  Sometimes cardboard has a thin water resistant layer and doesn't absorb paint well.)

(home made mod podge recipe:
school glue watered down with a little water)

3. After drying the box, I painted the edges of the box (see the picture above) with a cream color.  That is the color that will show when you distress the edges. 

You don't have to paint the edges cream.  You can do it without the cream under layer and it will be fine (I've done it before without painting an under layer).

4. When the cream paint was dry I painted it black (using acrylic paint).

5. Then I sanded the edges to give it a distressed look.

6. I cut off the end of a capri sun box.  This will be your frame hanger.

(measure it so that it will fit inside of your frame.  If you don't cut it enough your frame will stick out from the wall and not make contact/sit flush against the wall. 

If you cut it too much then there is less of a surface area for your frame to sit on).

You don't have to use a capri sun box.  This is just what I had on hand.  You can use any box.
& screw it to the wall.  You could nail it if you wanted to.  I prefer a screw for this project because I think it holds the frame hanger to the wall more securely (if I choose to turn the frame the other direction-if my picture is landscape instead of portrait direction). 

7. I attached a small piece of velcro to the top (to hold the box frame on).

Then I screwed the capri sun box to the wall.

(NOTE: I chose a capri sun box because it is sturdy.  You will want to use a sturdy box.  Your cardboard frame will be sitting on this box.  It is what will hold your frame up. 

8. I put the other side of the velcro on the inside of the frame.  This is what holds the frame to the hanger.

9. Getting all of the boxes lined up on the wall can be a little tricky (not necessarily hard...it just takes time and a little patience).  I recommend: measure twice, check twice, hang once:) 

10. I put a piece of packing tape in the center of the frames.  This is where the double sided tape will go to attach the picture to the frame.  This will protect the frame when pictures are removed.

 Tada...

Faux Chunky Wooden Distressed Frames

cost = FREE
(I already had everything I needed)

mileka:)

Happy framing:)

(to see the original post click this link)

Take A Tour: The Front Living Room (Chunky Frames)

I love cardboard!!!

Why?

Cuz it's FREE!!!

My favorite place to get cardboard is at Walmart...although you can find it practically anywhere.  Craig's List often has listings for FREE cardboard boxes.  A favorite pick-up story of mine is...we (Brandi & I) were on our way to Michael's and we saw a new store setting up with tons of boxes outside.  What did we do?  We stopped, went in, and asked if we could have the boxes.  We totally scored that day!

I'm not too much of a picture person...but I want to be (baby steps).

I don't really take too many pictures and I don't really display them (don't ask...long story). 

But...I want to be.  So I do a little here and there. 

I've started to scan some old pictures into my computer and I have a plan. 

The plan:

1. Display pictures, 2. rotate them, 3. store them.

1. This is how I display them...

 Don't you just love the pictures?  I do.

 Guess who took them...Brandi.  U Rock!

These are 2 years old.  Scroll down to see an updated group picture.

These frames are awesome!

They look like chunky distressed wood....but...

...these are cardboard boxes.

Can you believe it?

(click here to see the How To:)

cost = FREE

2. My plan is to rotate out the pictures.

3. The shelf below is where I plan to store their photo albums. 

When each picture is removed it will go into their individual photo albums.

Listen to this...

I'm not that great with taking pictures (or even remembering to take them in the first place).  My plan was to take Valentines pictures of my kids and put them in the frames as holiday decor.  Well...I took the pictures and then I never got them printed (in time)...I still plan on printing them and hanging them.

I don't have a fancy dancy camera...and felt that if I didn't have one my pictures wouldn't turn out perfect.  I decided to be thankful for what I have (the camera in my cell phone) and make do.

I've always felt that I was a pretty sucky photographer (if I even dare try to call myself that).  I decided that I needed to put my foot in my mouth and JUST DO IT!  So that is what I did...

I have to toot my horn a little (toot, toot)...I think it came out pretty good. 

This picture was taken with my (Nokia Neruon) phone camera. 

It only has 2 mp.  I did edit the picture a little. 

All the kids:)

mileka:)

What do you think?

Tribute to: Cardboard! (Faux wrought iron wall decor)

I have always loved the look of wrought iron. The romantic curly lines and the mesmerizing symmetry of the patterns drives me crazy! I wanted to see if I could create the look of wrought iron with stuff I had around my home, and did I ever! 

This is my tribute to cardboard, one of the most versatile materials ever!  Ok, so this is the part you guess exactly what kind of cardboard materials I used for this project.

*Jeopardy theme playing. . . .DUM, Dah, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh!

Times up! did you guess?

TOILET PAPER ROLLS!!!

That's right! I had stockpiled a buttload of these suckers. I thought it would've taken forever because I live in a house with 5 males but NO, it came and would NOT stop coming!! (It still hasn't stopped if you're wondering)

Now all those years of feeling bad about throwing the tp rolls away finally makes sense! I just knew they could be useful in some way.

Here's how I did my faux wrought iron wall decor. . .

Materials: Wooden frame (you could either make your own with wood or buy one, the project can be done with rectangle frames but I recommend using square frames if you can find any), tp rolls, ruler, scissors and tacky glue (I used a hot glue gun but recommend using tacky glue because it doesn't glop up and make "spider webs" of glue all over the place.)

1. I bought a frame from the dollar store. They have 11x14's for sale now! I removed the glass and the cardboard backing. Don't throw either one away, you can always use the glass for another project. The backing will be used for this project.

2. Cut a tp roll "open" on one side.

3. Using a ruler, measure and mark with dots. I made mine 1 cm apart.

4. Using the dots as guides, make your lines.

5. Cut along your lines.

6. Depending on how wide your measurements, 1 tp roll measured at 1cm should yield at least 10 strips.

7. This may be the hardest part. Using the cardboard backing of the frame, you will make a frame within the frame.

8. Curl the tp strips by winding it around a pencil. Place curlycues in a pattern in the frame. When you like what you see, glue it in. I know these last 2 steps are really confusing so I will attempt to illustrate to you to avoid any confusion.

 After you glue all the strips in patterns in the frame, you are almost done!

9. Take a big breath. . . .get something to drink. . .better yet, go get some yummy apple pie and put a big scoop of vanilla ice-cream on it. Mmmmm, now don't you feel better? K, next step.

10. Using your black spray paint, spray your wall hanging at different angles. (I've found that you don't need to cover the cardboard with a thick coat of paint because seeing even just a little bit of brown makes it look even more like wrought iron.)

Hang and enjoy your art!

How much did it cost me to make my own wrought iron wall decor?

Frame=$1

TP Rolls=FREE

Faux Wrought Iron Wall Decor=$1

How you like them apples!

Brandi-Lee