Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Do It Yourself Art!

Ok, so this will be a really quick post today. Two weeks ago I decided to upgrade my son's room into a bonafide big boy room and it was a major success! Now I want to decorate my sleeping quarters :-) Anyways, the hardest thing to find was, DUN, DUN, DUN, artwork.
With my son really wanting Thomas the Train everything, I knew that the pictures on the wall would make his space complete. As luck would have it, none of the stores had pictures, posters, canvases, or wall hangings of the popular stem engine. Even the internet was scarce when it came to options, and I was pressed for time.
I only had about four days to pull this all together, and Tuesday after he came home from school, it all needed to be done. I may have procrastinated just a wee bit *shrugs* No, actually it wasn't me. Furniture stores try to deliver way too fast these days. Do you want it tomorrow? Nawl bruh, I want you to chill. A fast turnaround time should be a good thing, but not when you're not prepared. I digress...
So needing things fast, I decided to make my own art! All you need is a computer and a printer to do it. Obviously, the easiest thing to do is find pictures that you like and print them. Pinterest has a variety of FREE printable art. However, if you're looking for something more specific it can get a bit tricker.
I wasn't in love with any of the Thomas prints that I came across, and honestly, they were probably copyrighted anyways. So I decided to create prints of popular Thomas sayings in cool and fun fonts. By coupling the prints with matted frames it really brings it together in my opinion. Here's a look:
 
The frames are pretty large, although it may not come across that way on the picture.
I selected a different font for each frame.
I really liked the detail. Since his bed & dresser is also cherry wood, I wanted matching frames that would kind of ground the room while still being fun and playful.
I lucked up and found this ready-made engine themed print.
I knew I wanted this frame right away as the shape reminded me of a rail road crossing sign (see how my brain works?). This frame sits on his new dresser, along with a vase of wasted money Thomas minis that my son doesn't play with.
And just for good measure, here's a pic of some of the frames in use.
 
When discussing my latest DYI, I was shocked to find how many people didn't know that printing your own "art" was an option. I know that my brother-in-love would kill me for saying this, but art doesn't have to expensive or fancy. Sometimes it's just about liking it. My prints look awesome in my son's room--even if I say so myself ;-)
 
Making your own frugal art isn't just limited to prints either. You can use pretty pictures from calendars, post cards, fabrics, or any other thing you can think of. The key is just to have fun. Well that's it for this week's post. Hopefully, I can find some more creativity to tap into soon. XO until the next time guys!
 

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