DIY Project:


The "Almost" Free Paint Chip Artwork

For the last month I have been in a crafty mood. I have been obsessed with decorating my newly designed basement, which I will be showing everyone very soon. I wanted the decor in the basement to reflect my creativity and passion for design. I thought this artwork would be perfect! It can be easily changed and can work with any color scheme.

I saw this idea on Young House of Love and thought it was great. I changed mine slightly by arranging the paint chips in gradients rather then a random pattern.


The other thing worth mentioning is how cost-effective this artwork is... IT'S FREE! However, due to a few complications (i.e. my lack of patience), mine turned out to cost a small amount of money. 


Materials:
Picture Frame - any size and shape
Paint Chips
Scissors
Double-Sided Tape.... I didn't have any so I used good old fashioned scotch tape.

Directions: 

1. Decide what colors you would like to incorporate in your artwork. I picked colors that worked well with my basement color scheme. The great thing about this piece is you can change it according to the seasons, or modify it to work with a new color scheme. 

2. Decide on the pattern and begin laying out your paint chips. I decided to use six different colors and display the gradient for each color, going from light to dark. When cutting out your paint chips make sure to measure the width and height of the frame, and divide the paint chips equally. All the paint chips should be exactly the same size. 

3. Tape the paint chips to the frame insert. Make sure to align the paint chips perfectly. 

4. Carefully lay picture frame glass overtop of the paint chips. Make sure everything is lined up correctly. 

5. Patiently insert the glass into the frame... this is where my "free" artwork turned out to be expensive... I got a little too excited and tried to rush this step, and cracked the glass. 

Being upset and a little annoyed, my wonderful boyfriend offered to assist me in a late night Ikea trip to pick up a new frame :) How sweet is he!

6. Once I picked up another picture frame, I was able to assemble the picture and hang my beautiful new artwork!

I was very happy with the way this project turned out. I am excited to continually change this artwork to complement my ever-changing color schemes... because we all know I change my color schemes on a fairly regular basis :) 

Make sure to check out Young House of Love for their version of the Paint Chip Artwork. 

Happy Crafting!

~meg xoxo

DIY: Paint Stick Sunburst Mirror

Over the last year, sunburst mirrors have become a hot topic on the DIY - design blogs. I have seen so many unique variations to this mirror. One of my favorite blogs, 'Centsational Girl', featured her own paint stick sunburst mirror. After seeing so many, this one really caught my eye. I thought it was such a "crafty" idea, so I decided I would give it a shot. I know I should have came up with my own "innovative" design, but the creative juices weren't flowing that day and I just loved this idea too much!

Materials:
7" Round Mirror
7" Wooden Crochet Circle
55 Paint Stir Sticks.
Wooden Base - I used a wooden square frame that was on sale at Michael's.... for $1 :)
Craft Paint
Small Paint Brush
Metal Picture Hook
Hot Glue Gun
Glue
Xacto Knife

Directions:
1. Attach the picture hook to the back of your wooden base.
2. Paint the wooden circle and all the paint sticks. I recommend painting the sticks two different colors, this will give some variation and depth to your frame.... I learned this after I painted mine with only one color.... :(
3. Paint two coats and let dry overnight.
4. Glue mirror to wooden base.
5. Once dry, glue wooden circle to mirror.
6. Glue paint sticks to mirror as shown. If your doing two different colors / tones, make sure to do one color as your first layer and the other color as your second layer. This way the colors will alternate.

7. Once completed, remove excess glue with Xacto knife and make any necessary touch ups.

As you can see I had a few paint touch ups to do....

My recommendations would be to paint the sticks two different colors. Even if they are the same color, I recommend at least using two different shades. I painted all my sticks the same color - antique gold, which is a beautiful color, although it would be much nicer if it were two different shades of gold.

This was a fun and easy project, and one of the best parts is... it only cost $12!!!

Paint - $2
Paint Sticks - Free - thanks to Sherwin Williams
Wooden Hoop - $3
Picture Hook - $3
Mirror - $3
Wooden Base - $1

I plan on making another sunburst mirror soon. I think it would be fun to try using twigs, bamboo sticks, or even chop sticks, so I will let you all know how that goes!

Check out 'Centsational Girl' for her version of the paint stick sunburst mirror.

I hope everyone has a day full of SUNSHINE!

~meg xoxox

DIY Projects:

Handmade Christmas Gifts


This year it's my goal to make a small portion of everyone's Christmas gift. Here are a few things I have come up with over the past week. 


Button Earrings

Button Earrings are a great stocking stuffer; they are simple, unique, and are incredibly easy to make. 

Coffee Mug Sleeves 

After a short lesson from my crafty friend Jenna, I was able to knit these cute coffee mug sleeves. This is the perfect gift for the coffee or tea lover. You can make a variety of sizes to fit around a thermos or coffee press, or add a special touch by sewing a variety of buttons or that special someone's initials into the sleeve. 


If your interested in purchasing any of these gifts, I will be selling coffee sleeves, button earrings, jewelry trees, and much more at the Westmont Community Center Craft Fair on December 4, 2010. I will provide more information closer to the date.