High Impact – Low Cost Wall Art (Deployment Projects #159 & 160)

 

I’ve been working hard on the kids rooms and I think I am finally ready to show you Charise’s!  I still have some details to finish up and I still need to add a few little “surprises.”  But all in all, it is finished.  I had the same policy with the kids rooms as I had with the guest room.  I didn’t want to buy anything for these rooms - - only use things that I had. 

Here’s what I came up with for one of Charise’s walls.

I had this picture hanging in our guestroom before I re-did it.   I knew I was not going to use this picture again – I’ve had it in three houses already - - it had served it’s purpose, but my style has moved on.

So I took the picture, matting and glass out of the frame…

I made sure that all the staples were removed, then gave it a coat of turquoise spray paint - - I used lot’s of this wonderful spray paint in her room!!

Next, I took a set of vinyl frames I had picked up months ago on clearance at TJ Maxx and put them on the wall inside the frame.

I let Charise pick out four of her favorite pictures and put those in the frames.

 

Did you notice that I just used straight pins to hold the pictures to the wall?

 

I also had some leftover vinyl birds from another project in her room, so I perched one of them on a frame.

    

A little sneak peek of the new picture frame on the wall!  Notice more of that turquoise spray paint?  I also gave her pink chandelier a coat of paint.

 

Now, for a second super quick super easy project.  We had these three hooks in her room before the re-do, but they were always falling off the wall and every time they moved, they left a black mark on the wall – not cool when you rent!  So, I took a board that we had in the garage.  It just happened to be this size, I didn’t cut it down or anything.   I gave it a coat of paint too - - then, with my white paint pen, I added a little white line detail.  I put screws in to keep the hooks on the board and voila!  I hung it on the wall, then added another one of the vinyl birds above the  hooks. 

Total money spent:  $0

Creativity Used:  just a little :)

Cute Girls Room:  Priceless!  Check back tomorrow when I share the entire room with you!

In Our Home (Deployment Project #158)

I saw this fabulous “Do” list on someone’s blog the other day, and I cannot for the life of me find it again.  In typical Amy fashion, I put it in my idea file, but forgot to make sure I had the link saved also.  So - - I know it is on one of your blogs - - if it’s yours, send me an email and I will link you to this!!

Here’s the wall that inspired my next project:

Don’t you just love it?  I love that it is a positive twist on a household “list of rules.”  I took the words and ran with the idea, making my own movable version.  That’s what we do in the military - - we make movable versions of everything.  That along with checking the weight of a piece of furniture before we purchase it!!

I plan on hanging this on the wall in the hallway outside the kids room.  It’s actually just leaning there right now until I can go and get the hardware needed to hang it.

 

Here’s the line that really sold me, “We do loud really well.”  If you knew my family, or hung around with us for any amount of time - - - especially if Handsome Hubby is around - - you would know that we do LOUD really well!!!  We joke that my husband has the laugh, “heard around the world!”  It’s true - - it’s really loud!  When we were dating in college, that would be how I would find him.  I would just open my dorm room window - - listen for a few seconds, hear his laugh, and head off in the direction I heard it!  I love that my man is such a happy person and not afraid to share that joy - - especially with his family! 

So, yes, we do loud really well!!

 

To make the sign, I dry brushed my blue paint on my board, used my T-square to chalk some guidelines on for writing my words.  Then free-hand painted the words on my board.  After it all dried, I used some sandpaper to distress the entire sign and added some white accents using my paint pen.  It was a quick and easy evening projects that serves as a great reminder to all of us of the things we, as a family, should be doing!

Station Sign (Deployment Project #65)

I was completely inspired this week when I got my House Beautiful Magazine in the mail - - awesome stuff in there this time!!

First thing I learned… I am trendier than I thought!  AND  I have no clue why I was doing those Re-upholstery tutorials…

Check out these chairs - - yup – there they are sitting there in all their “un – upholstered glory.” 

House Beautiful

Remember this set of chairs that I couldn’t post about for FOREVER because I made a rule that I can’t post until the project is done?  Yeah, they sat in my house looking exactly like this for at least 5 months!  Who knew, I should have just left them - - I am so trendy and I didn’t even know it!  (If I would have know that it was cool, I would have at least taken a picture of them without their backs!!

Seriously  - - I guess there will not be a Re-upholstery 300 series because apparently all you need to know how to do is take the fabric off, not know how to put it back on – anyone can handle that!!

House Beautiful

OK, seriously though, I was really inspired by one item that I saw!

Watsonkennedy.com

Look at this Station Sign! - - I love it!  It has a vintage look to it and what a huge statement it would make on a wall!!   But, when I looked at them, I saw something a little different in my mind - - -  something almost exactly like that, but personalized!! - - AND cheaper!! 

Mine: FREE

Theirs:  $295

Here is my version:

What do you think?  It’s my version of a military record of where we have been stationed and Handsome Hubby’s deployments.  It’s so personalized and has a ton of meaning for our family, but yet is really makes a statement in our entryway.  And what a conversation starter!!

I started by re-purposing a failed project:

This was one of the kids desks before I re-did the school room.  It was a great idea - - nice piece of wood for the top of the desk - - covered with the world map - - just add legs.  It was great for the first week of school, but after kids leaned on it and tried to dance on it  diligently did their school work on it… it was worthless!! 

So, I took the legs and brackets off, removed the map, and spray painted the wood black.  Then I freehand painted on all the different places we have lived/been stationed along with Handsome Hubby’s deployments and the years in an antique white.

 

Can I just tell you that I am in love with this project?  I am so pleased with how well it turned out.   Wouldn’t these be fun to “list” different vacation spots you have gone to or street names that you have lived on?  Oh the possibilities!!

Sneak Peak (Deployment Project#11)

So many projects and so little time!

Today, you just get a little sneak peak of a HUGE project I am working on!  Last week I decided I just could not live with all this white any more!  I had to pull out my trusty paint brushes and roller and put some color in just one room.  (I may not be able to stop there!)

Before and after pictures will be coming shortly

along with projects #12 - #19. 

We are halfway through our school year and I have to tell you, the kids are doing fantastic, but I am beginning to dread going into that school room!  It is one room that just has not had a plan and it kind of just keeps growing.  We keep adding stuff to the walls, projects and posters, artwork and rewards.  Basically it is just a jumbled mess!!!  It was time to organize it.  Time to make it a room that we all wanted to be in!

So I started with color on Friday night.  More on that later.  But today you get a sneak peak at a little over the bookcases vignette.  I made the ragamuffin garland last year and used it in my workroom.  But it looked silly just hanging up on the wall with nothing else.  So I tied some clips into it and added some "wow!"  I wanted to add some artwork and some vintage school inspiration.  So where did I turn to? 

The Graphics Fairy of course!!

Aren't these fantastic?  I just love the detail and the expectations that teachers had for their students.  Can you imagine writing like this every day?

I hope when we start back with school this week my kids are inspired and excited to be learning!  I know I'm pretty darn excited about our new room - - I'm even looking forward to classes this week!!!

I'm linking up to Graphics Fairy Brag Monday - - -

you have to jump over there today (she's sharing my bird pillows!!!!)