Today I am so happy to have Paige of Final Clothes-Out join us with an innovative home decor project. She always has tips for frugal and stylish living, so check out her blog and please give her some comment love!
Hello! I'm Paige from FinalClothes-Out, and a big thanks to Julia for inviting me to post here today. My blog is all about saving money when you shop--and a large part of that is knowing when to just make something yourself. Today I have an easy, versatile art project I put together for less than $5.00.
It's great for kids (or people like me who prefer to craft while they catch up on episodes of Project Runway, and therefore can't use their entire brain), and it only takes about 15 minutes.
You will need:
a piece of wood (canvas or foam board will also work)
letters or numbers
paint
paintbrush
glue (optional)
I used leftover wood from a bookshelf I refinished last month, and I already had the paint and paintbrushes. The stickers were 40% off at JoAnn the day I went, so they only set me back $2.99. (And I still have a ton of them left for other projects.) If you don't have any wood, canvas or even foam board would be a good alternative.
First, I decided what I wanted my artwork to say. I was considering "total awesome sauce" but I decided to stick with my wedding anniversary instead.
Since my numbers were acutally scrapbooking stickers, I just put them on the wood and pressed firmly for a few seconds. If you're using anything non-sticky, this is the time to glue it down.
After your letters/numbers are in place, it's time to paint. I used grey craft paint mixed with Dutch Boy no VOC flat wall paint. This helped me get better coverage on the wood (since it just sucks the paint right in). If you don't have any wall paint handy, three coats of the craft variety will get you the same results.
Finally, I let it dry and that was it! Easy, right?
This project is extremely versatile, too: I could add a hook and turn it into wall art, put magnets on the back and stick it on the fridge, prop it up next to my favorite books on a shelf, or leave it as-is and send it to work with Hubsey for his bare cubicle (which is probably what will happen).
Not too bad for only $2.99!
Thank you Paige! I think I will be making one of these with my son's birth date and maybe for his new room. Please check out Paige's fabulous blog Final Clothes-Out when you get a chance. She always has the best advice, coolest cheap finds and just a savy know-how.
