Son's Finger paint + Mom's Decoupage = Bathroom Art

My 2.5 year old son loves to paint.  He usually doesn't spend a lot of time on it, maybe 10 minutes or so, but once he is done with painting he always wants to show it off.  So when my fridge could not handle all the drawings he was making I decided to designate a small corner wall in my dinning room as his art wall.

There have been three paintings hanging there for about 5 months now and they keep "calling" me.   I really like the color coordination and the "style", if you can say that of preschooler art.  So I thought those three pieces of paper deserve a better place and my bathroom downstairs has been a little empty lately. 

A few ideas pop to mind (mainly framing them) but I thought that did not make them special enough so I decided on the next best thing...decoupage them.  I don't know why but there is something very relaxing about adding glue onto something and smoothing it out with a sponge or brush.   

Check out the instructions below on how I turn my son's drawing into modern art for my bathroom wall. 
You will need:
-canvas (size in EU=24 x 18cm, US=8"x10")
-decoupage brush/sponge
-mod podge or the equivalent white glue for decoupage
-temporary spray adhesive/glue for thin paper



-tape
-child's art
-printer/copier
-tissue paper
-standard white paper  (EU=A4, US=8.5"x11")                                                                  


How to:
1.  First cut the tissue paper about 2cm (1 inch) longer and wider than the standard white paper.  The idea is that you can wrap the tissue paper around the white paper.  Use only enough tape to hold the tissue paper in place (1 small piece of tape per side)

2.  Add the white paper covered in tissue paper (step 1) to the printer making sure the tissue side will be the one printed.



3.  Make a color copy of your child's art and let the ink dry for a few minutes.

4.  Take  the tissue paper off the white paper.  Once you've separated both paper take the white sheet and add very little spray adhesive onto the surface. Let the spray adhesive dry for a couple of minutes (to avoid ruining the print) and then paste the tissue paper (printed side) onto the white sheet (the side having the adhesive). Make sure that the tissue paper is straight and has no folds.  

5.  Apply one thin coat of mod podge onto the canvas making sure it covers the whole surface.  As soon as you are done applying the mod podge, position the tissue paper (adhered to the white sheet) on the canvas upside down to a hard surface.

6.  With a straight object (I used a piece of wood) "comb" the canvas to make sure that the tissue paper (underneath the canvas)and the canvas are being pasted without any air/glue pockets.  Work fast because the glue will dry quickly. 

7.  When you have combed the entire surface of the canvas, turn it around and remove the white sheet of paper being careful not to tear the tissue paper underneath.  Then smooth out any left over air pockets.  Work slowly and preferably only with finger tips.

8.  Once the front part is glued work on the sides by covering the edges with mod podge and folding the remainder tissue paper over them.

9. Let the canvas dry and then pull out or cut the leftover tissue paper.

                                                                                                          

10.  Let it  dry for 30 min.  and then cover the canvas with one thin and quick coat of mod podge to protect the art.

Vintage Combs to Enhance Hairstyles

I love hair combs but don't find many out there that I really like, so decided to make my own.  I wanted to go with a vintage look, so I chose ribbon and feathers.
Follow the instructions below to create your own combs... which could accomodate to different occasions and styles including romantic or modern wedding hair styles

First, fold the ribbon (approximately on a 45 degree angle) so the back of the folded piece is against the back of the rest of the ribbon.

Then start folding the front, so the front of the ribbon touches the front of the rest of the ribbon. The angle should be tighter in the center and looser on the edges to create a circumference with the ribbon (In some cases it's easier to use pins to hold the fabric in place).

Continue to do this until you overlap the starting point by at least 1/4 of the way (you can continue for 2 or 3 rounds if you wish).

Once you are happy with the flower shape, cut the ribbon from the roll and fold it in, so you can't see the unfinished edge.

Stitch at the center of the flower in such a way that you hold ALL folds in place.

Add beads in the center to cover the stitching from before.

You can layer flowers with different fabrics to create texture. Just make sure the bottom flower is made with a wider ribbon. Add feathers and other embellishments, and make sure you stitch them in place.

 

Stitch the comb on the back of the flower and your vintage comb is done!

Hortencias (Hydrangeas) and the Watering Can

I came back to Brussels last week with mom who travelled back with me to help with the kids and the 11 hour flight. 

My first impression is how much work the house needed after 5 weeks of me being away, specially the garden.  However, the good part was that my Hortencias (or Hydrangeas as they are more commonly known in other parts of the world) were in full bloom and in all colors ranging from pink to turquoise, and purple to blue.  I love the look they give to the garden and they are the easiest to care for! 

Anyways back to my mom, you know how it is always nice to have a new perspective on an area of the house you are not quite happy about?  Well I have been stuck on this watering can which I bought sometime ago in a second hand market here in Brussels.   When I boughted I love the feel of it and I thought it would give a nice look to the kitchen, but I have been struggling in finding a way to make a statement with it.  So I took advantage of the "new perspective" situation and ask mom to have a look and see if she could think of something.  And she did. 

 

Here is what you need to create something similar:

-Hortencias,

-Dried willow branches

-Ribbon

-Statement vase, or any sort of container that has a nice rustic/old feel to it.

To put it together:

Cut all the leafs out of the hortencias so that the flowers are just above the edge of the container. Cut the willow branches about 15 cm (6 inches) higher than the top of the hortencias.  Arrange 3 or 4 Hortencias stems aternating with the willow branches.  Add some ribbon onto the vase to give it a finished look.

I loved it, what do you think?

Boring Pinecones?





I have a pine tree in my front garden and for the last 3 months it has been letting off tons of pine cones every week.  So last week, while mom was still visiting, we decided on crafting with the kids and the obvious choice was to use pine cones.  Mom and I also did some pine cone painting and mom made one that I really liked and I ended up using it as part of my dinning room decor.

The funny thing is that I always thought of pine cones as a Christmas sort of thing and never imagine using them other than for Christmas.  But since last week I have a new perspective on pine cones and I thought it would be nice to share, so here it goes:

 You only need:

-paintbrush,

-paint,

-glitter,

-pine cones (different size and shapes for a nicer effect)

-open bowl or decoration dish.  

The process was very easy just paint the pine cone with the paintbrush and immediately pour on some glitter and let it dry for a few hours. 

Once dried, arrange all pine cones in a bowl and add the painted pine cone(s) as accent or focal point for the arrangement.