The Art of the Toilet Paper Roll

Ahhhh….the master bedroom. It has eluded me for years, and I’m still trying to tackle it. It all comes down to one final element—art above our bed. I didn’t want to spend any much money; I was dealing with some difficult dimensions, and I wanted it to be VERY simple. How’s that for easy?

Here was my plan of attack--toilet paper or paper towel rolls. I tried using some wrapping paper rolls, but they were a little too thick to cut through easily, and they didn’t measure the same in width as the t.p. That stands for toilet paper—we’re tight like that.

I measured out the rolls by about 1 1/2” marks and cut them into their little strips. Once they’re all cut out, I glued the joints of them together. I used hot glue because I knew I’d be painting them. Plus, it’s waaaaay faster.

I’ve seen them attached and arranged in a variety of ways, but I was very careful not to make mine too flowery. I didn’t really want flowers, but I did want a soft pattern. (The canvas was from Michaels for $15—it remains unpainted.)

I took the rolls/now shapes to the basement and spray painted away. I would highly recommend using primer for this. Obviously, these suckers soaked up the paint. I followed up with some glossy white paint.

So here it is. Toilet paper wall art. For $15.00.

Because my bedding and curtains have gray in them, I liked that the insides of the shapes throw off a bit of a gray tint. If you’re looking for a more solid color, I would look into painting them a little more carefully inside—perhaps with a paint brush?

I’ll probably still play around with the shape of it. They’re easy to move around since I just attached with a little dollop (I like that word) of hot glue. When I get tired of it, I can throw out the rolls and reuse the canvas.

There’s some pretty good t.p. art out there. Googling it will provide you with a number of pictures, and you can just go from there. No “big reveal” of the bedroom just yet. Still some things to do, but THAT was a biggie.

Anthropologie Lampshade

I’ve been working on re-vamping my master bedroom. So far, it has taken me 7 years. I should be done pretty soon. I purchased a lamp for it, and it has sat on my side table (with the tags still on it!) for two months. I wanted to “fanicify” the shade somehow, and I just couldn’t make up my mind how to do it. But then…I saw this.

{$88.00}

However, I didn’t really see it until I saw this. That’s it! That’s how it needed to be fancified! Thank you, Terra from Mama Says Sew. She gives fantastic directions, but I’ll give you the low-down here as well.

I purchased 1 1/2 yards of burlap for $2.99. Because the shade was so similar in color, I didn’t wrap it beforehand. Looking back now, I wish I would have, but it’s not a big deal. Not that many people tour my master bedroom anyway. :)

I folded the burlap in half and used my rotary cutter to cut the strips. Don’t let the ruler fool you. I didn’t measure anything. I just kind of “eyed” each strip, but I did use the ruler to make a straight line. I think they ended up being about 2 1/2 inches.

Per Tessa’s directions, fold the strips in half and iron them down. You will line the folded edge with hot glue and place it on the shade in a squiggly manner.

Do this for about three days, burn your fingers five times, and itch for hours because of all the messy burlap residue.

Once you’re done, you’ll have something like this!

Unfortunately, I don’t think the base is staying this color, but it certainly is pretty! It was just the texture I was looking for, and it only cost $2.99 to do it. Inspiration abounds in blogland, doesn’t it?

Brooch Magnets

Some time ago I had written that my grandparents moved in with my mom and told me they wanted me to take anything valuable.  Being the sentimental sap that I am, I quickly took anything and everything that had meaning to me--namely, my grandmother’s brooches.

I thought it was such a personal item that I would cherish for years. Her brooches and my grandfather’s collection of fedora hats have always intrigued me. It’s a tangible reminder of a more formal time period that doesn’t seem to exist anymore.

                     

           

Trying to figure out what to do with them/how to display them/how to do them justice, I simply did nothing for months. But THEN…I came up with an idea.

Why not turn this little $7.00 beauty into a framing piece for the brooches, yet still be reminded of my grandmother while using them? Brilliant, Chris.

Want a tutorial? Good “cause I’m gonna give one. I went to Lowes and purchased a piece of sheet metal in the plumbing department. I laid the frame backing over it and cut the measurements with a utility knife. They have fancy schmancy scissors that cut sheet metal, but I used an old pair of scissors I had around the house. It worked perfectly.

It was a scary moment, but I took some wire cutters and cut the backs off of each pin. No going back now.

They offer a wide variety of magnets in craft stores, but NONE of them work like the ones below. Trust me—I’ve wasted some money figuring that out. These babies are strong! I glued them on with some E-6000 glue. Also very strong!

Spray painting the sheet metal black helps the brooches show off their color better (I think), and it turned out beautifully.

Another treasure that came with me was my grandmother’s recipe box. It’s full of hand-written family recipes, and I just love it! There’s just something about hand-written items.

I paired it with a couple of my favorite pictures of them called it good. I love neutrals, but the color in this project has me smitten.

The moral of this story? Don’t be afraid to show off family treasures in a non-traditional way. I think about how long these beauties remained hidden simply because I wasn’t thinking “out of the box”, and it’s so disappointing. So go forth and rethink those heirlooms that have been stored away for too long.

Burlap Monogram Art

Ohhhhhhh, the bathroom. Ever start a project thinking it’ll only take a few days and quickly come to realize it could very well take a few decades? Let’s just pretend you do. It will make me feel better.

I HAVE to be done soon. Next week, perhaps? Until then, I’ve started to put a few finishing touches on it—just to fool myself into believing it’s done. Jones Design Company had some name plate art in her kids’ bedroom, and I was inspired! I started out with some Ribba frames from Ikea and in true JaG form, the glass broke on the way home. Of course.

Working with what I now had, I lined the back with burlap (with spray adhesive) and used my Word program to make a monogram on some cardstock.

And here is the finished product! It’s exactly what I had imagined, and it’s the classic look I was going for. Yay! 

Of course, if I zoom out just a bit, you’ll see that I have quite a road ahead of me. A quick 3,946 cuts couple of cuts, and I’ll finally have the mirror frame built.

Hopefully, within that time I’ll actually figure out how to photograph this bathroom correctly. No natural light in here, and it’s proving difficult.  

I’m just inches, yet miles, away from being done. However, I think a little artwork will help hold me over for just a little longer. 

More Teacher Gifts

If you’ve been here before, you know I’m not all too excited about the teacher gifts we must give throughout the year. You know, the ones that have to be clever and useful and clever and useful? A couple of years ago, I made these but I was looking for something a little different this year.

You ever been to Michaels after Christmas? Hello! Lots of little trinkets for mere change. Change, I tell ya! I found these little recipe boxes for .40 cents a piece. I sat on ‘em for a couple months (not literally—that would be unnecessary) until I could figure out what I wanted to do with them.

I searched through my scrapbook supplies to see if I could Valentine these up a bit. It is my firm belief that pretty packaging can fool the recipient into thinking they got a really great gift. That’s what I do. I fool.

Since these pretty boxes currently sit empty, I’m hoping my belief stands strong.

I’ve got some plans brewing for what will go inside. As soon as I figure that out, I’ll let you see! Regardless, it’s a pretty cute presentation for .40 cents, no?

With a change of the tag(s), the boxes go from Valentiney to every day-y. Clever? Check. Useful? Check. Empty and pointless? Check check. Don’t you worry…I’ll figure something out.

I am currently perusing through 335 links from Show and Share Day. Say what?? I’m seeing some fanTAStic projects, and I can’t wait to highlight some of them. I’ll be back!