Make It: Mini Boudoir Art

Make It: Mini Boudoir Art

This mini boudoir art was designed for Plaid crafts using my favorite color of metallic FolkArt paint - Metallic Peach Pearl. To see more of our Spring and Easter projects visit our page at Plaid Crafts.

Supplies:
FolkArt paint – Metallic Peach Pearl
FolkArt paint – Metallic Inca Gold
Mod Podge Matte
Foam paintbrush
Detail paintbrush
Wood plaque - small
Dress clipart
3 small rhinestones
Hot glue
1 Yard black velvet ribbon

Dress Clipart - jpeg
download and resize as needed

How To:
Paint the plaque with 3 coats using peach pearl paint and a foam brush. Use the gold paint and a detail paintbrush to add highlights to the edge of the plaque. Allow to dry.

Print and cutout the dress clipart. (you may need to adjust the size depending on your plaque size). Coat the backside of the clipart with Mod Podge and place in the center of the plaque. Topcoat with two coats of Mod Podge. Allow to dry.

Using a detail brush and gold paint, paint 3 tiny dots down the front of the dress. Use a small drop of Mod Podge to glue 3 rhinestones across the waist of the dress. Hot glue ribbon around the outer edge of the plaque. Hot glue the remaining ribbon to the back of the plaque in a loop to create a hanger.

Make it: Artwork à la Warhol

Make it: Artwork à la Warhol

Materials:
4 12"x12" stretched, gessoed artist canvases
Folk Art craft paint in 4 colors (either bright or muted)
foam paintbrushes
Mod Podge
4 14"x17" color copies of a black-and-white image
10 yd. decorative trim (narrower than the edge of the canvas)
floating medium
picture-hanger piece
small picture-hanging nails
hot glue
scissors
ruler
waxed paper

Steps:
1. Choose an image and use photo-editing software to make the picture black and white, adjusting the brightness and contrast until the image is completely black and white with no gray.

2. Print the image, take it to a copy shop and enlarge it to fit the length and width of the canvas (ours was enlarged 140% to fit a 12"x12" canvas). Make 4 copies.

3. Cut the images to the exact dimensions of the canvases. Apply a liberal, even coat of mod podge medium to the canvas. Apply mod podge to the back (not the front) of the image and carefully apply the image to the canvas (don’t start pressing until the image is properly aligned). Smooth out any the air bubbles (you can use a flat-edged object to help flatten bubbles, but be careful not to gouge the paper with the edges) and let dry.

4. Paint the image using acrylic paint that has been mixed with floating medium (one part paint to slightly less than one part medium). Allow to dry. Use more than one coat of paint if the first coat looks streaky.

5. When the paint is dry, add embellishments to the artwork. Ribbon or trim can be used to enhance the border of the frame. Attach a picture hanger to the back of the canvas. Repeat for each canvas.

Make it: Stretched Fabric Art

Stretched Fabric Art

Materials:

decorative fabric
wooden stretcher frame (available at art-supply shops)
staple gun
picture-frame hanger
beads, sequins, buttons, needle and thread (optional)

Steps:

1. To assemble the frame (if stretcher frame came preassembled, skip ahead to step 2), fit together the four sides of the frame by sliding the flaps into grooves at the end of each section. Using a staple gun, put a staple into each of the 4 diagonal seams.



2. Measure the fabric to fit the frame and add 2-1/2" per side to allow the fabric to wrap over the sides of the frame. Cut out the fabric; if necessary, iron it to remove wrinkles and creases.

3. Lay the fabric face down; center the frame on top of the fabric, front side down. Starting at one corner, fold the fabric over the frame and staple in place. Repeat on the other corners, making sure to stretch the fabric taut. Next, fold and staple the fabric back along all sides of the frame. To ensure that the staples stay in place, use a hammer to secure them.

4. Optional: Sew sequins, beads or buttons to the fabric to accent pattern elements; choose colors that complement the fabric. Attach a hanger to the frame.

Make it: Modern Grass Painting

Modern Grass Painting

Create a modern grass painting with a unique painting process that combines strips of shelf liner with warm green paints.

Materials:

20"x20" square prestretched canvas
self-adhesive shelf liner
scissors or craft knife
metal yardstick
self-healing cutting mat
Folk Art Acrylic craft paint: 2 oz. each olive green and white
gel medium
100% cotton rag
picture hanger

1. Roll out the shelf liner and tape down. Using a yardstick, mark points on the contact paper that are 17", 14", 11" and 9" tall . Next, using a craft knife and a metal yardstick, cut the paper at marked points. Line up the yardstick at the center of one of the paper’s boxes and cut down to the base at a slight angle. Doing this on both sides will leave a long, thin triangle shape. You will need 6 strips that are 17" long, 20 strips that are 14" long, 15 strips that are 11" long and 10 strips that are 9" long. The strips should resemble large blades of grass.

2. Attach the strips to the canvas. Beginning with the longest strips, keep layering until the canvas is covered. Wrap the widest part of the strips around the bottom of the canvas; pointed ends should be facing the top of the canvas.

3. Pour a small amount of olive green paint on a plastic plate. Add an equal amount of gel medium to the paint and mix thoroughly.

4. Wet a rag and wring it out. Forming it into a ball, dip it into paint, blot off the excess and begin painting at the base of the canvas. Paint the darker color 1/3 of the way up from the base of the canvas. Add a drop or two of white paint to the olive paint and blend to create a lighter shade of green. Continue painting the canvas with the lighter shade, blending the two colors together about 2/3 of the way up the canvas. Add more white paint to create a very light green shade and continue painting to the top the canvas, blending as you paint. Let the canvas dry.

5. Carefully remove the shelf liner paper and add a picture hanger to the back.

Make it: Mapped Out Art

Mapped Out Art

Materials:
Basswood Country Planks (this project used a 16"x13"x11" Walnut Hollow platter)
Small map of Italy (printed from the computer and enlarged to fit base of platter)
60- and 120-grit sandpaper
Folk Art Acrylic craft paint: cream (Linen), butter yellow (Morning Sun), spring green (Forest Moss), robin’s egg blue (Light Blue), tan (Buckskin Brown), chocolate brown (Dark Brown)
foam paintbrush
small round paintbrush
low-tack masking tape
pencil
matte clear sealer (varnish)
picture hanger

Steps:

1. Sand any rough edges and clean sanding dust off the tray.

2. This project is about painting in layers. Using a foam brush, apply 2 coats of cream wash (1 part paint and 1 part water) to the top surface of the platter and let dry.



3. Next, apply a coat of spring green wash to the inner base of the platter and let dry. Apply a coat of butter yellow wash to the inner base of the plank and let dry. Apply a coat of robin’s egg blue wash to the inner base of the plank and let dry. Apply a coat of dark brown wash to the inner base and let dry.

4. Cut out the map and position it in the center of the painted platter. Lightly secure the map to the platter with low-tack tape. Trace around the map with a pencil. Pull up the map to reveal the country outline.

5. Using a small round paintbrush, fill in the map outline with tan paint (not wash) and let it dry. Let the platter dry thoroughly before sanding.

6. Using 60-grit sandpaper, sand the entire platter. Sand lightly on some areas of the platter and more heavily in other areas to expose different layers of paint. Smooth out sanding lines with 120-grit sandpaper; wipe the surace with a rag to remove sanding dust.

7. Optional: add extra embellishments such as map symbols or sayings to the platter.

8. Using a foam brush, coat the platter with matte-finish clear sealer. Secure a picture hanger to the back of the platter for hanging.

Don't be a Wall Flower

Lime Wash Painting Techniques

Creative Juice - Episode # 112 - Wall Flower

Tune in or TIVO - Thursday 12:30 eastern DIY Network.

Plain, boring walls get a major makeover as we show off some easy ways to spruce up your home. We use lime wash to give a wall that "natural weathered" style; demonstrate a technique for creating a mural that's perfect for the artistically challenged; give depth and character to a lifeless wall with Roman clay; and show you how polka dots and fabric can totally change the mood of any room.

Projector Art

Polka Dot your walls with fabric and hoops.

Roman Clay Painting Techniques

Projector Art TO GO!

CHA Day 1 - Modern Art Project

The afternoon of day 1 was dedicated to Gallery Glass! This glass paint has been around for awhile and it is traditionally used to create faux stained glass. Steve and I decided to take an untraditional approach to gallery glass and we created some modern art. The cool thing about this art is that when you get tired of it, you can pull off the paint and create something new.

Gallery Glass Goes Modern!

Basic Supplies:
glass frame
black onyx gallery glass
image to paint
felt
fabric
tacky glue
duct tape
options: paper and recycled items like records, bubble wrap, magazine pages

How To:

1. Remove the glass from the frame and clean the glass with glass cleaner.

2. Place a graphic image or vintage album under the glass. You can create your own graphic image by photoshoping your own pictures or look for graphic images in mags and online. To photoshop your own pictures adjust the color to black and white and then adjust the threshold until you are happy with the design. If you find a small image that you love, just increase the size on a photocopier.

3. Don't shake the gallery glass! Apply the gallery glass over the areas where you want paint. For the Liz Taylor, chandelier and the bird pieces I painted every area that was black. For the record album I highlighted just the conductor. Allow the gallery glass to dry for up to 24 hours.

4. For a Fabric Backing: Attach a piece of felt to the backing board of the frame with tacky glue, attach a piece of fabric to the backing board by wrapping it like a present, use duct tape to secure to the back.

5. For a Recycled Backing: Layer up vintage records, papers, bubble wrap, junk mail, grocery bags, etc. to the backing board to create a design.

6. Once the gallery glass has completely dried, place the glass on top of the backing board and secure into the frame.

Creative Juice is Twice as Nice on Thursday

Tune in or Tivo to HGTV & DIY Network for Creative Juice!
We are Rockin Out with Rock projects and Stamping Up with cookie cutters.

Click here for all the project instructions: Rock Out Stamp Style

Modern Rock Art made with Mod Podge

Lovin' It

Desk Top Plants

Cocktails and Mocktails on the Rocks!

Homemade Stepping Stones

Strong!

Stamping UP!

Beeswax candles made with cookie cutters

Fabric printing with bleach and cookie cutters

stamped mailbox

Cleaning and caring for rubber stamps

Vote for Sweet P and Make Your Own Modern Art!

Steve, Sweet P & Me at Jo-Ann Fabrics

It has been such a busy day! We are gearing up for CHA and Steve and I had so many supplies to buy! We had many stops; Jo-Ann Fabrics, Michaels, The Habit (yummy lunch) and back to Jo-Ann's for more supplies.

At our first stop we bumped into the fabulously talented, Sweet P, from Project Runway. We begged her to tell us the winner, but, she kept her lips sealed! She is a fan favorite in my house so when we got home we promptly voted for her as our fan favorite on the Bravo website and we encourage you to do the same. Click Here To VOTE!

At Micheal's they are having a huge clearance sale on beads - some were really cool and priced at a buck! They also have a great sale on art canvas and foam core board is a dollar!

I have received tons of emails about the gallery glass project from this post asking me about how to make the Liz Taylor art. They are so easy to make and you only need 1 bottle of black onyx gallery glass, which is about $2.00! The cool thing about this technique is that it will stick to the glass as long as you wish and then you can peel it away and create a new design. Here are a few different design ideas.

Hollywood Recycled
Made with bubble wrap, felt, yellow lined paper and magazine pages.

Let Their Be Light
Made with hot pink silk.

Records Re-Crafted
Made with a vintage album.

Birdy
Made with green silk.

Gallery Glass Goes Modern!

Basic Supplies:
glass frame
black onyx gallery glass
image to paint
felt
fabric
tacky glue
duct tape
options: paper and recycled items like records, bubble wrap, magazine pages

How To:

Remove the glass from the frame and clean the glass with glass cleaner.

Place a graphic image or vintage album under the glass. You can create your own graphic image by photoshoping your own pictures or look for graphic images in mags and online. To photoshop your own pictures adjust the color to black and white and then adjust the color balance until you are happy with the design. If you find a small image that you love, just increase the size on a photocopier.

Don't shake the gallery glass! Apply the gallery glass over the areas where you want paint. For the Liz Taylor, chandelier and the bird pieces I painted every area that was black. For the record album I highlighted just the conductor. Allow the gallery glass to dry for up to 24 hours.

For a Fabric Backing: Attach a piece of felt to the backing board of the frame with tacky glue, attach a piece of fabric to the backing board by wrapping it like a present, use duct tape to secure to the back.

For a Recycled Backing: Layer up vintage records, papers, bubble wrap, junk mail, grocery bags, etc. to the backing board to create a design.

Once the gallery glass has completely dried, place the glass on top of the backing board and secure into the frame.