Weekend Projects: Wonderful Wall Art - Part 1...

String Artwork

To make this tree-motif string art piece, coat a piece of plywood with black interior latex paint. Sketch a tree lightly in pencil. Begin pounding 1-inch white nails into the plywood along the design at random intervals. Tie nylon cord to the lowest, left-most nail and begin looping the cord around the surrounding nails. Keep the nylon taught at all times. Work your way up the tree and extend out to each branch, ending at the top. Tie a tight knot at the top-most nail. Finish by tying 2-inch pieces of color cording to a few nails at the tips of the branches. Display in an oversize frame, or cut and miter moulding to border the plywood.

 

 

Stenciled Wall Art

A blank white wall in this dining room gets a boost of color thanks to a brightly colored stenciled canvas. To get the look, stencil an ikat pattern (or any other pattern you like) onto canvas and stretch it over 1x2-inch boards at the top and bottom.

Printable Wall Art

Recreating this small art piece is as simple with this free download. Simply download, print and frame, or use a photo transfer method to put the print on canvas or a block of wood

Download the owl art for free! via bhg.com

Travel Documents

Keep vacation memories fresh with this easy and inexpensive wall art project. Cut a map to standard printer-paper size (8 1/2x11 inches). Use a word processor to create words, phrases, symbols, or photos that remind you of the special places you've traveled. Print your design on the map. Use spray adhesive to affix the map to a store-bought art canvas. Brush on two coats of decoupage medium, allowing the canvas to dry between applications to seal it. To give a newer map a weathered look, soak it in extra-strong coffee or black tea for an hour, then hang it up to dry.

Watercolor Flowers: This pretty project can be recreated using inexpensive watercolor.paints. Create a light wash by mixing water with one base color. Paint the entire surface of the stretched canvas with the color; let dry. To make flower stems, use a thin brush to paint a single line of light green watercolor paint. The lines need not be perfect; watercolor looks best when it’s applied organically. When the light green is almost dry, highlight it with a line of darker green; let dry. To create the flowers, place a nickel-size puddle of watercolor paint in a light tone onto the canvas at the top of one stem. Hold a straw vertically, straight over the top of the puddle. Blow into the straw to spread the paint into a sunburst pattern and let it dry. Repeat the process with a deeper, more saturated tone of the same color and let it dry again.

 

 

Hand-Drawn Wall Art

Even if your art skills are elementary, doodle on! With a marker in hand you can create one-of-a-kind wall art and unexpected updates for basic home decor in a matter of hours. Write a favorite quote, song lyric, or poem on a fabric scrap then frame, and enjoy. Draw a simple picture, then employ a blending technique to make it something truly special.

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So although the weekend might already be nearly over - this is the week that you can prepare you next weekend's projects such as these Wonderful Wall  Art projects that I have come across and wanted to share with you. Some have more creativity injected them to others but I do think there's a wall art project that can be done by any one - no matter your 'art' level!
Why not try one of these projects for your living room, bedroom or kids bedroom, or a guest room! Customise your colours and materials - and voila - you have an original décor wall art piece!eave me a comment or email me you project and how it turned out - I would love to hear from you.
Enjoy,
 

 

 

 

images pinterest, tumblr, bhg, hgtv, traditional home.

Cosy Decor for Equinox & Autumn...

 Welcome to Autumn!

Autmunal Equinox for us Southern Hemisphere dwellers was officially yesterday 20 March - where the day & the night matched in equal time. Today is the first day where the day[light] will be officially shorter than the night. Following week after this on Sunday 1st April [April Fool's conincedently] will be the end of daylight savings for us in New South Wales [Sydney and surrounds].

So in light of the longer nights, and cooler weather upon 'us' I thhought I would share with you some fabulous ideas that I had found on how to 'Cosy' up some of your interior spaces - in the bedroom, with a charming 'cottage' like feeling! Which one is your favourite? Can you choose just one? I'm sure there's a cosy decor style that will suit you or you might make a fusion between 2 or 3 of the rooms.

Enjoy,

 Textural Tapestry

Add depth to a classic white-and-cream cottage palette by playing with texture. Here, an old rug remnant repurposed as artwork provides a rich backdrop for a caned white-painted bed frame, while crisp white sheets perk up when topped with a mix of toile and damask pillows. The simple matte finish on a painted side table takes on an elegant patina when topped with an ornate iron candelabra crowned with petite silk shades.

Pattern Play

Set a contemporary cottage mood with a tapestry of patterns. The key to this bedroom's fresh vibe is an eclectic mix of traditional and modern prints that don't take themselves too seriously. Upholstered in a seafoam-and-cream toile fabric, the headboard provides a timeless base for geometric sheets and an overscale leaf-motif coverlet. Graphic silhouette-style accent pillows deliver a whimsical exclamation point.

   Wall Perks

Wrap a bedroom in quintessential cottage character with a painted paneled wood treatment. Instead of the expected beaded board, run a strip of 1-inch-thick molding from floor to ceiling between a room's crown molding and baseboard, leaving a foot between each piece of trim. Paint the walls and trim the same color to achieve an-always-been-there look.

Flea Market Treasures

Well-worn, comfortable pieces serve as the backbone of cottage decor. With that in mind, distressed doors form the base of this flea market chic platform bed, while an antique mantel, worn and weathered, serves as a headboard. Oversize letters form an impromptu monogram above the makeshift headboard

Neutral Oasis

Soft taupe and cream toile fabric adorns the windows and headboard in this bedroom. An iron chandelier painted the same mocha color as the walls and a carved wooden mirror finished with off-white paint match the romance of the fabric.

Vintage Flair

Salvaged finds, such as a dressmaker form and a cake stand-turned-jewelry display, come to life against the backdrop of crisp white walls and bedding in this bedroom. A distressed blue chest delivers attractive storage and display space. An old wire shoe rack accessorized with a metal star and dried bouquets of flowers works in conjunction with shutters to turn the windows in character-rich focal points.

Sweet Folk PaletteTo achieve an country living folk look, this painted iron bed is piled high with red, white, and blue linens. A floral dust ruffle lays the foundation for the color scheme, while sheets in cornflower blue and white, a red gingham comforter, a vintage quilt, and plaid and striped pillowcases continue the theme. An embroidered "Home Sweet Home" pillow completes the sentiment.

Seaside Fresh

Evoke oceanside serenity with crisp turquoise accents layered on a sea of white. Shades of gray found on painted side tables, a striped floor rug, and a cotton throw keep this bedroom's bright palette from floating away.

Casual Elegance

A checkered quilt, used as a ceiling-high headboard, introduces instant vintage appeal to this master bedroom. The soft blue of the pattern in the quilt is echoed by chalky milk paint on a primitive armoire and a distressed finish on a curvaceous antique Swedish bench at the foot of the bed.

Mix Master

Cottage style is all about the mix -- not the match -- as illustrated in this bedroom, where damask-style curtains frame a bed dressed in a pink geometric-pattern duvet that's topped with an assortment of vibrant accent pillows. Vintage side tables and a curvy French bench keep the modern mix of patterns feeling comfortable and cozy.

Blue Boudoir

Layers of sky blue and white bedding lend this guest room a warm and welcoming air. A lightly ruffled bed skirt and the scalloped edges of a blanket introduce a simple sweetness that's echoed by silk lampshades and a dreamy sheep rendered in oil paints above the bed

images via bhg.com, betterhomes&gardens, tumblr, miiswallflower via daydreamer0207

How to Add A Splash of Colour - Without even Painting!

More than Meets the Eye - From the outside, this home looks like a traditional Cape Cod cottage. Step inside and you'll see open rooms and numerous windows that provide endless views of the charming coastal town where the homeowner grew up. Pale gray walls and buttery yellow floors unify the living spaces. But the home stays light and inviting layered with fresh fabrics, unexpected color combinations, and charming finds.

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How to Add A Splash of Colour - Without even Painting!

Yes, you read it correctly! How can that be - well take a look at this gorgeous home that looks a little like a fave style of mine - Cape Cod - from the outside in, this great article and house tour I came across on one of the fab e-newsletters I received, and had to share with you how easy it is to do...
Even though I, personally love to paint everything - for this project - No paintbrush necessary! Read on.... Enjoy!

 

Airy Accents - Keeping a room's wall colors neutral allows you to add any accent color you like to furniture and other accessories. In this airy beach-cottage living room, light blue upholstery and playful patterned pillows spice up soft gray walls and buttery yellow floors. A large wall of sliding French doors can be rolled open in warm weather to let fresh air and natural light flow in from the outside.

Add Color Without Paint Tip: Look for furniture with colorful bases, such as this rattan-topped side table with orange legs. Although minimal, the pop of color is unexpected in a sea of cool blues and whites

All Grown UpThe color pink isn't just for nurseries. When played against chic neutrals, such as gray, pink takes on a decidedly grown-up tone. Like so many furniture pieces in this cozy beach cottage, this light pink sofa was reupholstered for a more modern look.

Add Color Without Paint Tip: View wood furniture and finishes as colors rather than neutrals. Here, the warm stain on the dining table has a reddish cast -- a perfect companion to the pink sofa

 

Tying Everything Together  - Across from the dining room's rustic wooden table is a cozy nook. A chair upholstered in pink fabric ties in the color of the settee across room. Two vibrant green pillows provide contrast to the soft white surroundings of the nook area, while a patterned throw blanket ties in both of the room's accent colors.

Add Color Without Paint Tip: The crisp-white director's chairs are perfect go-anywhere, do-anything pieces -- simply change the covers for something more colorful, and you'll get a whole new look.

  Character Counts - To add character to a neutral bedroom, this homeowner included accents in a warm color scheme. Two vintage-style mustard-yellow chairs tie in colors from the quilt on the bed. A bright pillow echoes the pinks and oranges found in art pieces throughout the space.

Add Color Without Paint Tip: Look to your bedding to add a dash of color. For subtle style, choose bedding that includes a neutral already found in the room to help it blend in. Here, the oatmeal-hue background of the quilt is almost the exact shade of the wide-plank floor

Vintage Serenity

This relaxing bathroom atmosphere keeps its cool with neutral walls and furnishings. Vintage cream-color window shutters add character to the subdued walls. Black-and-white artwork provides a hint of contrast while staying true to the room's vintage feel.
Add Color Without Paint Tip: Fresh flowers usher in unique beauty to any space, and hues range from tiger-lily orange to hydrangea blue, offering plenty of variety

Culinary Kitchen Display

The cabinets in this kitchen were designed to resemble horizontal shiplap siding. And this segment of open shelving provide the perfect display space. Keeping the cabinetry neutral allowed the homeowner to have fun with brightly colored and playfully patterned dishware and small appliances.

Add Color Without Paint Tip: Bring your colorful dishware out of hiding and put it on display. No open shelves? Removing cabinets and adding shelves is a weekend project you can do yourself

Outdoor Decor - This spacious screen porch allows for easy entertaining and beautiful views of the beach beyond. A sturdy sailcloth functions as a neutral tablecloth that can blend with any colors and patterns. Crisp white and bright red chairs create a nautical atmosphere. A simple bouquet of yellow daisies emphasizes the laid-back nature of the home.

Add Color Without Paint Tip: Keep proportion in mind when adding pops of color to a neutral space. The frames of these metal chairs are slender, keeping the addition of red small but impactful, not overpowering

 

More Ways to Add Color - Even in small doses, color can refresh a room.
See how adding a little color here and there can completely transform your space.

images & subtext via bhg.com, tumblr, pretty stuff, crush cul de sac