Week 14: Simple Wall Art DIY

Painting is so not my forte, but I gave it a shot and ended up with this floral, pastel, geometric painting for my wall!

Supplies:

• plywood
• wood stain
• cotton cloth
• washi or painters tape
• acrylic paints
• paintbrushes

Step 1: Prepare the Plywood Canvas
I decided I wanted my plywood to be much darker in order to contrast well with my pastel palette of colours. So I stained my wood a 'walnut' colour before I started.

Step 2: Tape It Using my washi tape, I created some lines in a random criss-crossing pattern.

Step 3: Paint! 
Paint whatever you'd like! I must say that the final product was much different that what I originally had in my head. I expected it to be much more abstract, and much to my surprise, I had to remind myself not to be too detailed.

Step 4: Remove the Tape
Once your paint is fully dry, carefully remove the tape, being careful not to remove any extra paint.

And the tape was quite pretty too!

What I enjoyed most: I enjoyed experimenting as I painted. Being a novice, it was fun to accidentally discover what my brush could do.

Next time I would... Create something much more abstract. I think the wood lines would better compliment an image that was sort of a mish-mash of colours coming together.

Week 14: Paint Something

Why I want to make this: I consider myself an artist but I am SO not the drawing/painting type of artist. I want to do this project to challenge myself and try something I'm a little uncomfortable doing.

Ideas & Inspirations: Instead of using a traditional canvas, I'd like to use some plywood that I picked up at the Reuse Centre recently. I am naturally drawn toward more abstract paintings because I think that's where my brain works best! But we'll see what I end up creating.

What I intend to do with said project: This is the perfect type of project to hang in the craft room! It will serve as a reminder to challenge myself more often. Hopefully it will turn out to be something inspiring for me and not something that will discourage me when I look at it.

DIY Garden Labels

 

Another garden DIY for you! When planting my garden this year, I went on a quest to find some garden labels. I was astonished by the lack of pretty options! I even went to several specialty garden shops. So, naturally I decided to create my own.

Materials:

• wooden rounds with a 1 1/2 to 2 inch diameter*
• drill
• paint (again, I used my $1 mint-coloured mistint jar)
• paintbrush
• fine-point Sharpie
• Mod Podge or other sealer
• 12 gauge wire or larger (coat hangers work too!)

*I couldn't find any cheap wooden rounds, so I made my own by sawing 1/2 inch slices off a tree stick and giving them a quick sand

1. Drill a small hole in the top of each of the wooden rounds. 

2. Paint lines, triangles or other geometric shapes on your wood rounds. I free-handed it (surprisingly!) but use tape if you want more precision.

3. Once your paint has dried, use your Sharpie to print your vegetable names on each label. Go over your writing with black acrylic paint if you want a bolder look.

4. Apply a layer of Mod Podge or a poly sealer over all sides of your label to protect it from the elements.

5. Cut your wire approximately 18 inches long. Make a small semi-circle for your wooden round to hang on and then make a large semi-circle in the opposite direction.

6. Plant your label in your garden with the straight part of your wire digging straight down into the soil

Garden Fence DIY

Now that it's mid-summer, I'm sure many of you already have bountiful gardens that you've been working on for months. I'm an amateur gardener, but I decided to jazz up my little garden a bit this year. So I just thought I would share with you this week a few garden DIY's -like this dollar store garden fence remake.

Materials:

• small garden trellis 
• paint (I used a small misstint jar I bought for $1) 
• paintbrush

I did one fairly thick coat of paint and did my best to cover the overlapping areas. I'm sure it would last longer if I used some sort of sealer to keep the wood in great condition, but I opted for this inexpensive garden project instead. With that said, my little fence is still looking great and it's already been rained on and even HAILED on a few times!

Week 13: Dissecting a Vintage Hairdryer

I found this wonderful little vintage hairdryer at a thrift store and thought it would be perfect for disassembling.

Disassembling some of the parts was quite simple, but for others I wasn't sure it could be done without breaking something. Once I had them all separated, I polished up the pieces and spent about an hour assembling the them. Here is the result:

Now, I wanted to put my own spin on this project and it happened so beautifully as I was in the midst of arranging my pieces. So then I just ran with it.

What I enjoyed the most: Once I got going with creating faces with the pieces, I could have gone for hours. Taking random objects and transforming them into something unique is a great exercise in creativity.

Next time I would... Work inside. It was a nice day and I decided to work on this from the backyard. But then I had to deal with the wind moving my objects around, the harsh light of the sun, and even a few pesky magpies.

Week 13: Disassemble Something Old

Ideas & Inspirations: About a year ago I stumbled upon a photograph by Canadian photographer Todd McLellan and it has stuck with me ever since. In his Disassembly Series, he takes everyday objects, like this typewriter, and meticulously arranges its components in a striking way. Then in contrast, he creates an image by manipulating the individual parts to appear as though the object is exploding. McLellan just released his book, Things Come Apart, showcasing 50 iconic objects, which is available through Thames & Hudson or Amazon. I thought it would be neat to attempt to dissasemble an object of my own and see what happens!

What I intend to do with said project: I'll have a cool photograph, so perhaps I will frame it and display it if it turns out nicely. I'm also hoping to somehow put my own spin on this concept. We'll see how it turns out.