How Great Thou Art

Free, personalized art that is! It's not a secret that I'm a fan of anything free. Well not maybe not anything, but if it can decorate a wall in my home then I'm a fan. Since I put myself on a spending freeze, I've been thinking a lot about how I can use what I already own to make pretty things.

A few years ago, I bought a few canvases to try my hand at painting. Let me just get this out there - an artist I am not - but I can create things that involve structure. Hand me painters tape and I'm good to go. So I gathered up a canvas, two different sizes of painters tape, some scrap book letters and spray paint.

I laid out the letters on the canvas first. I have to admit that I thought it was pretty cute at this stage and I may have inspired a future project!

Needless to say, I pressed the letters on in the (approximate) center of the canvas. I basically just eye ball the placement of things like this. Then I took out my tape and played around until I found a placement that I was happy with.

At this point I was ready for spray paint. I laid the canvas out on some newspaper outside and got my spray on. I did a few light coats, waiting about 15 minutes in between coats.

Of course Simon was waiting for me in the window!


{are you done yet? I just want to lay on the couch with you!}

 About 15 minutes after the last coat of spray paint, I peeled off the tape and letters. I'm not going to lie, I was a little nervous. I was scared that the paint would seep under the tape or the letters would look crooked. Much to my relief, I had this:

The paint did leak a little bit around the letters, but I actually don't mind it. The letters were a little old and were a mix from a few different packages, so it just looks handmade. And I'm fine with that!

I'm sure you're wondering where I found room to hang this since the walls in my house are pretty full. There is actually the perfect little wall in the hall leading into our master bedroom. I get to see it every night before bed and right when I get up. I even smiled this morning looking at it when I had to get up early for a day full of student learning objectives. (Consider yourself lucky if you don't have to deal with those!)

Forgive the photo, it was getting dark when I took this one and the lighting in our bedroom isn't that great.

Ten points if you spotted Simon!

So that's my latest no cost project, although it would still be pretty cheap even if you didn't have all of the supplies on hand. And its personalized and meaningful to Bill and I. Score!

What have you spray painted lately? I can't be the only one amazed by its awesomeness!

Thanks for reading,
Kathleen

Linked Up at: Eclectically Vintage
Elizabeth and Co.