My Attempt at Craftiness

These next two posts are unusual for me. Crafting and Cooking are not topics I blog about, but I figured in one post I'd share a couple fun craft experiences of mine. And in another post I'd share my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe!

I have to brag on my sister-in-law. Krista made both of these fun and great looking decorations above and below for her dining room a few months back and I just loved them! For the first craft (see picture above) she found 3 frames which she painted a mustard yellow or black and then she painted the glass using chalkboard spray paint and stenciled the letters on with a white paint pen. She attached a red flower for some detail and pop of color. For her other piece of art (see below picture) she used a piece of cork board and put it in a fun frame which she painted a mustard yellow.

Well, Krista inspired me to try something with cork board and chalkboard paint which I finally just got around to in these past couple weeks. Krista gave me an extra piece of cork she wasn't using. I originally was going to make a memo board just like she did in the picture above, but I just couldn't find a fun frame after looking at a few thrift stores and had no luck at yard sales finding fun frames. I found a dark cherry wood 8x10 frame I already had at home and realized, "duh I can spray paint this!" So I spray painted the frame my favorite color spray paint. Valspar Tropical Oasis which is a really nice and easy on the eyes turquoise/teal color.

After I spray painted the frame, I realized I didn't really have a spot I needed or wanted a memo board. So I searched on Pinterest for some other ideas for framed cork-board and came up with this. A neat display and easy access to my earrings!

Over the past year we've been slowly collecting lodge and cabin themed decorations to hang in our home. The guest room was the first room that received most of the cabin theme decorations and bedding. Caleb had a large framed cork board from before we were married, and I attempted to convert it into a piece of art  last year for our guest room. This is what my attempt looked like. I was trying to be crafty and cheap. It didn't turn out looking all that great. It was more of a craft fail, but we left it hanging for a while. I tried to be all woodsy using the burlap and pine cones. Fail!

After being tired of having this hanging and trying to make myself like it, I decided it was time to re-purpose the framed cork board. So I used chalkboard paint and my favorite spray paint again to make this. A framed chalkboard. I have the perfect wall in our kitchen to hang this on. I think for now I'm going to leave the edges looking rough. I didn't paint the chalkboard paint all the way to the trim, but I think I like the rough edges. I can't wait to hang this, but for now I'll pass on pounding nails into the wall considering Caleb is trying to sleep. Thanks for your inspiration Krista!

I'm a big fan of spray painting things! It's an easy cheap fix. If you have an item you are tired of or just aren't using, try changing its color with spray paint and you may find a new purpose for it. A couple months ago I went a little crazy with my Tropical Oasis spray paint. I pulled out a few items and painted them my favorite turquoise. 

Some of the items were glass vases and candle holders that were boxed away because I never use them. Now they are sitting out as decorations throughout the living room and bedrooms. Some other items I found were an old ceramic jar, wooden picture frame, black candle sconces for the wall. They all received an easy cheap makeover and now I love the pops of color and unity they add throughout our home. I can't wait to hang the chalkboard painted cork board in the kitchen and watch it tie in these other items that have been painted.

Picture on Left: Black frame spray painted blue and cream colored ceramic jar painted blue.

Picture on the Right: Black twisty tea light candle holder painted blue and tall votive candle holder painted blue and white