Bedroom Gallery Wall

Gallery Wall

GALLERY WALL

When I decided to create a gallery wall in our dining room I wanted something creative but yet cheap. I am also not one to do all the measuring and mathematical crap to design it. I don't waste time cutting out pieces of paper and taping them to my wall to design the layout. Well, for those of you who want a perfectly symmetrical looking wall then i guess it works. I feel like when creating a gallery wall it should be sporadic! It should contain pieces and pictures that you love and have meaning. I don't pre-plan what I want it to look like because when I go shopping those plans are sure to change! I just wanted to share a few tips and suggestions about how "I" create my gallery wall.

I start by picking the room I am working with and choosing a style that I want. Then I go shopping!! I am cheap, so my shopping consists of second hand store and coupons! (Goodwill, Savers, Salvation Army, Dollar Store, A.C Moore) The total of this gallery wall was under $20! I pick out pieces that stand out to me then when I get back to my studio I decide what I want to do with them. I plan to keep adding to these walls as time goes on and our family one day grows. I take all the completed pieces and lay them on the floor in a general pattern that I feel works and I can keep adding to and then using no measuring tape start screwing them to the wall! You want this to be a fun project, adding pieces that really represent you. I've added a small list of suggestions for anyone who may be stuck on what to use. Make it unique to your own style but most of all HAVE FUN!

IDEAS:
Photos
Fabrics
Wooden Letters & Numbers
Dried Flowers Scrap booking supplies (HUGE SELECTION HERE!!!)
Old, empty frames
Mirrors
Clocks
Antique pieces
Walk through the $ store and you'll be surprised what jumps out at you when your in the zone of creating!

D.I.Y Chevron Wall Art

 

So I really needed some inexpensive wall art to match the very bright blue my boyfriend picked out for our living room walls. When I grabbed these frames from the side of the road I didn't think they were in such bad shape, but then again I do think that about much of the items I snatch up! ...  anyway... boy was I wrong! As I tore through the back and took them apart piece by piece they got worse and worse! Being an optimist I knew the outcome would be worth the effort and I plunged in!

 

First order of business was to put the frames back together... they literally fell apart as I took the back off. This was nothing a little glue and staples couldn't fix! When the glue was all dry I grabbed a dark grey (Rustoleum of course) spray paint and gave it two coats. While the paint dried I cleaned the glass and measured and cut the chevron fabric. The poem "You are my Sunshine" was actually part of my inspiration for this project so I went searching online for the perfect image. When I found them I printed them on glossy  photo paper. I replaced the backing with new (not moldy) cardboard and voila!

Old Window Chalkboard

 

 



Happy New Year everyone! Another year has flown by and it's time once again to make those New year resolutions. Gosh... where to start!? So, as the new year rolls in we all have to pick and choose which new years resolutions are something worth sticking too.

Well, like many of you I made more than one (probaly becasue I'll only stick to one). So the organizing freak that I am decided that this window chalkboard would be a creative way to spruce up my office but also remind me (daily) that I have set goals for myslef and I must stick with them. And for those of you smart people who have choosen to NOT make resolutions.. smart But this is still a great project for you!

I found this old window for FREE on craigslist......
 

When I got to the location I had found out there were STACKS of windows. So I did when any junk collector would have done.... FILLED my car! Yes, I literally stuffed it to the point of not being able to see out of any window other than... well, my windshield of course!

I believe it was Pinterst that had sparked my interest for this project and I can't wait to try each idea. I kept my first window pretty simple with just a little bit of chalkboard paint to see how it would work. I first had to sand, sand and sane some more! The picture shown above was actually the back of this project and the other side has layers of chipping paint and dirt. I then painted the white and then free handed the chalkboard paint (with several coats). The chain was a very cheap purchase from Home Depot. This was a quick and pretty simple project for those of you looking to dip into DIY!

 

The best part is that I still have a stack of windows to play with. I can alter colors and styles. There are ENDLESS possibities for customizing these windows. I added a few of my favorites (from Pinterest) that I will be sure to dabble in soon! Be sure to come back to check out the rest of them!