Easy Decor Using Items You Have
I've been working really hard to use items I already have on hand before buying anything new. My motivation is to slash my spending and to weed out the many rooms and closets full of "Stuff" that Jeff and I have collected over the years. The double edged sword of two artists in one home is the "I could make something out of this" mentality which pushes us to save more than we can possibly recycle in our lifetime.
Since we live in Florida beachy or tropical decor is generally incorporated into at least one room in everyone's house. That's the inspiration for this project.
I found this shell during a walk with Stanley 🐕🦺, it was VERY dirty when I found it so I washed it really well with soap, water and some mold killer.
**Obviously not everyone has shells in their backyard. My hope is to inspire you to be creative with items you have or find. The wonderful thing about art is there is no wrong plus it's often very therapeutic.
It's actually quite pretty pretty as is but I felt like it needed some color so I painted it in bright colors working to accentuate the natural lines of shell.
I literally just wung it.
I decided that I wanted to make this stand out in a 3D manner. To achieve that I reused a wooden 5x7 frame that had no glass.
** Optional -scuff the frames surface, (wipe away the dust) apply stain, paint or like in my case, a few coats of @decoart Weathered wood.
(this is identical to the one used except this has the glass and isn't scratched up. I forgot to take a picture of the actual frame before)
Step 1: disassemble Dollar Tree burlap purse.
Step 2: trace the inside of the frame onto the burlap.
Step 3: paint burlap desired color (this is optional, I wanted more contrast)
Step 4: once the paint has dried, cut the burlap where you made the trace lines
Step 5: apply a layer of white glue to the frame back board
Step 6: apply a layer of white glue to the unpainted side of the burlap
Step 7: place glued sides together
Step 8: Apply just enough hot glue to the areas of the shell you want anchored down then press firmly to the burlap.
The frame was originally purchased from Old Time Pottery on Clearance for $4.00
The burlap purse was purchased at @DollarTree for $1.00
I had the paints, glues and stains already and the shell was found. Since I only used part of the purse my total outward cost was $4.50 although they'd been purchased more than 2 years ago, if one was to purchase them now this could be done for $5.00 or less. Recycle existing frames, cut up old clothes.
Frequently asked questions
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