Results tagged “wall art” from Fabric.com Blog
A concrete cube is what awaits many collegiates this fall and nothing distracts more from studying than a blank canvas. Given the various rules and contrasts on decorating dorms is it tricky to put your signature on a room that you will spend the next 4 years (5, 6 or 7 years, who am I to judge a major-a-semester student). It may be necessary to break the rules or at least work around them.
One of my favorite mediums to use as wall art is plates. I understand that ceramic plates and college students may not jive; you can pick them up cheap at a thrift store or use this technique on another solid surface it will create a project just as fun. What you need is a cool plate, some equally cool lightweight fabric, a silhouette (I use coloring sheets because of their big, detail less shapes are great for negative art), and some decoupage medium. Trace the silhouette onto your fabric and carefully cut it out. Use some decoupage medium to glue the fabric onto the plate and then slather more medium over the entire surface of the plate. Allow to dry and then use a plate hanger to hang (you can try some 3M hooks for concrete walls). You might also try the decoupage medium right on the walls. In a small spot out-of-view, test to make sure but I am reasonably certain that the medium will peel off of concrete. This project will add some spicy details to a dorm fridge, microwave, book covers, trash cans or storage containers.
There are many other awesome fabric wall art projects out on the web to try in conjunction with my fabric art project. Anna Maria Horner on the Martha Stewart Show used fabric, canvas and paint to create trendy hip wall art. Here is another tutorial using embroidery hoops and quilting cotton. Or you can just cover canvas frames with your favorite fabrics for big, bold color accents.
Stencils are great for many projects: jazzing up your kids
walls, adding some whimsy to a piece of furniture, adding a favorite quotation
above your front door, or creating your own wall paper. Stencils can be
expensive as well but making your own is not very hard. All you need are a few
supplies, some moxie and you are ready to go.
Materials needed:
•
Printed
clip art in the design of your choice
• Adirondack
Dabbers or a Stippling brush
Start with the desired design for your
stencil. You can choose a damask inspiration, words or animals(like the featured pictures) . Decide which
design or shape is best for your room or project. You can use these stencils on
walls, furniture, canvases or even fabric (great for curtains). If you need to
resize your design, you can use your favorite photo program (Picasa is a free
program) or take it to your local photo center and ask them to resize. Print
your design on regular paper. Tape your print-out to the template
plastic on all sides to prevent it from sliding around. With a cutting mat
underneath and using a sharp
craft knife (the sharper the knife, the more exact your cuts will be) cut
around the design. Check your craft knife often to make sure it is still sharp
otherwise you will have to go back over your cuts. Once you have completed your
cuts, pop out the inside of your design. What remains is your completed
stencil. If you are using words as your stencil, be sure to keep all pieces you
cut out since you may need them to finish each letter (i.e. the letters 'e, d,
o, etc will all need their insides). Use painters tape to apply your stencil to
your projects; it provides a strong bond, presents paint seeping and peels away
easily.
If your stencil
is very large and open (see picture) then you may want to use a wall brush to
fill in your stencil. Be careful of the edges, start dabbing the paint as you
get within 1 in. of your edges. If you just brush your paint over the edge, it
will seep under and blur your lines. Dabbing will preserve your sharp stencil
edges. If your stencil features small details or tight areas, a small tight
brush will work best for you and even better the Adirondack
Dabbers. This is a brush and paint in one that comes in a wide variety of
colors. They are easy to use and perfect for stencil work. A few key techniques: keep your stencil clean
and wipe off paint build-up, this will prevent marks on your work area and
avoid seepage (dried paint can prevent a flush fit against the wall); don't put
too much paint on your brush, work in light layers; test your stencil on craft
paper or newspaper to make sure it gives a design you love. Clean and store
your stencil flat between uses.
Designs that work well for stencils can
be found by using coloring pages, clip art, etc... If you find a design
idea that is not printable (wall paper, tablecloths or magazine images), just
trace it onto paper instead of printing and follow the steps to complete.
Anything works and you will be amazed with the finished project.
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