Making a Canvas!

I've been wanting to paint for a while now and I'm finally going to do it!  I bought some canvas at the fabric store today to make some big wall art for our pretty bare walls.  I have been so scared of what to hang up that I've just been ignoring it all together. I love art, but it's just so hard to decide on what you want to stare at every day.  Anyone have this problem?

Anyway, Here are a few fun ideas I like.

Home Made Coasters

Wanted to share this fun and simple craft with you...decoupage coasters! 

Here's what you'll need:

1. Tiles ( you can get these at home depot for 16 cents a tile!)
2. Modge Podge
3. A paint brush
4. Magazines for cut-outs
5. A can of clear sealing spray paint. (  I found one at Wal-Mart.  It says for decoupage on the back)
6. Friends to make them with!

First, decide what you want on your coaster. Then spread a layer of modge podge over the coaster with your paint brush and place your image on top.  Then, spread another layer of modge podge over your image to seal it in.  Let it dry.  When they are all dry, spray a layer of clear sealing spray on top...and wala!

Here's how mine turned out. I wish I would have taken a picture of everybody's because they were all so neat.

Wall Art: Vintage painting with Text

Here's the finished product!  I had so much fun making these two pieces of art. I've had the matching floral paintings for a long time, but never really liked them the way they were. I loved the frames though!  So, I decided to give them a makeover.  I haven't painted in a long time. I didn't know how much I missed it! It was so relaxing.

This past weekend, Justin went hunting and I got really motivated to hang up a bunch of things at our house.  I always think he should do it (because I usually put way too many holes in the wall)...but I think I did ok this time.  I just went for it. Now we FINALLY have stuff hung up. I just had to get over my intimidation of more wall space, and just decide already!

I put these two on either side of our dining room window. Trying to figure out if I should paint the frames a fun color?  I like the antique look they have, but a fun bold color would be fun too.

To make one yourself...

*First, simply stencil or free hand your text on an old painting with a pencil
*Next, pick a color of paint and start painting around the outline of your text, to leave only the text  showing!
*Lastly...hang and enjoy!

Flower Painting in Progress

I started on the vintage flower painting makeover. I'm excited to see how it will turn out. I probably should have gone out and bought stencil letters, but I am cheap and just wanted to draw them myself.  They are not perfect, but we'll see how they turn out. 

My plan is to just free hand painting around each letter so the letters themselves will show the old painting through them. It might end up taking forever...I usually do things like that.  I think it'll be a fun, quick project and then 5 hours later...

Anyway, here's what the paintings looked like...

It's time to decorate pumpkins!

We still havn't even gotten any pumpkins this season.  Last year we went to a pumpkin patch and both picked out our very own.  There's not much time left before November is here! I can't believe how fast this month has flown by.  I still have my September calendar up in our dining room that I drew on our chalk board.  I'm way behind.

I think I might just go for a cheap-o pumpkin and paint it this year.  I like these ideas...

Hand Painted Bathroom

We are well under way with the major projects on our home.  I'll be honest, I was set on an older home...with "character"...but it's crazy how many projects there are, even on a new home!  I am so thankful for what we have!  I couldn't ask for anything more. God has truly blessed us.

I saw this hand-painted bathroom in a really neat eclectic house a while back.  I've been wanting to try it myself ever since.  I figure how hard can it be...right?!  So, I think that will be one of my next projects.  I'm really looking forward to it. I figure the worst that could happen would be I hated it and I'd just paint over it.

I've been looking for inspirational vintage wallpaper patterns that I can put together to make my own.  I think I want to stick with a pretty monochromatic color scheme, but I like these prints.