Vintage-Inspired Announcement

I'm really excited to show you guys my project for today because part of it I've been working on for months! It's been a pretty big project that has taken a ton of my time and energy over these past months, and I finally got a glimpse of the final product last week.

Want to see?

Isn't she lovely? :)

Yep, I'm pregnant, and we're thrilled to be welcoming a little lady to our house this summer. :)

Now, onto today's project.

I could hardly come home with sweet little sonogram pictures and not find a fun way to display them, right? Luckily, I had already been checking out Pretty Little Studio's shop months ago, so I was prepared.

I picked out these gorgeous Mini ABC Bunting Flags months ago when I knew there was a little one on the way but had no idea if it was a boy or girl.

I had all sorts of ideas for sweet words that I could frame in the nursery that would appease my nesting instincts, (a little), and change around as my mood changed. Nursery, Baby, Little One, Baby's Room, etc. But once we found out that we had a healthy little lady on the way, one option seemed to stand out more than the others.

As I said before, I had originally planned on framing the letters, but decided that the cards' vintage feel called for a bit more of a vintage frame. I thought this little antique dresser drawer separator would be a great fit.

I cut out my cards, clipped them to some cotton twine, and hung them on the frame with tacks so that I could see how long I wanted my twine to be and what sort of spacing I wanted for the letters.

I removed the twine with the letters still clipped on, flipped it over, and added a tiny dab of Elmer's glue to the cards right by the glue. The clothespins kept the cards in place and helped to keep the twine in the glue as it dried. Perfect!

I removed the clips and used the tiniest dab of hot glue to secure the twine to the frame. I just love hot glue, it can be invisible if you do a light amount and it was dry and secure within seconds. Just what I was looking for.

I hot glued a little clothespin to one of the cubbies so that I could add a picture of our little sweetie.

Just to play up the vintage charm of the display, I added these three antique blocks with my husband, son and I's initials into the third little cubby.

Now I have a perfect little display to celebrate our newest addition, to announce that there will soon be a little sister around, and to give me a fun way to show off her sweet little profile picture. I love it! It looks a bit like an announcement from our family to the world, or at least to the visitors in our home. :)

If you do decide to get some of these little bunting flags, you might want to consider ordering two sets instead of one. There are double vowels included in the set, which was obviously very helpful to me here, but once you start dreaming up words and phrases you realize just how often you need two of the consonants as well. Luckily they're not expensive at all and you'll have a ton of fun thinking of new sweet little things to say.

If you like what you've seen today, be sure to come back Tuesday and Wednesday for more projects that we've done with items from Pretty Little Studio's shop. Need even more incentive? Pretty Little Studio is doing a giveaway on Wednesday too!!

I'll be spending my week linking to these amazing parties, and...oh... occasionally looking at little girl bedding. :)

PS-I'm so excited that this project was featured on Apartment Therapy's Children's Section Ohdeedoh!! Check it out here!

Have a great week!!

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Empty Frame Gallery

Last week I shared my 10 Tips to a Perfect Empty Frame Gallery, and this week I want to show you mine. Are you ready?! I hope so, I love this!! Hope you like it too!

Almost a year ago I started collecting lots and lots of frames. I got some big and some small, some ornate and some basic, some wood and some metal. You get it, I wanted a variety. It took me over a year to get together a little collection from various thrift stores and garage sales and I just kept setting them all aside. (Which is also why I often start off a post saying, "I've had this frame for a while now, but I just finally...")

We got all of the frames together in the basement, and I started grabbing my favorites and laying them out to get a general idea of which frames would look good together and what groupings would work best.

We then primed and painted them. I was insistent on priming because I had several metal and plastic frames, and I wanted to be sure that the paint would stick. However, I was painting them a dark color, so the white peeking through ensured that the frames each needed 2 coats of color. Ugh. So many steps when I was just so anxious to get them on the wall!!

We took the painted frames upstairs and laid them out on the floor again. There were 2 gorgeous golden frames that I chose to leave as they were and went with a monochromatic color scheme for the rest.

When it came time to make the templates for each frame, I decided to use something that I had plenty of laying around - Christmas wrapping paper. It was so thin that it kept tearing as I cut it, so I switched to a thicker roll of brown shipping paper. Let me just say, DON'T DO THIS! Both types of paper immediately rolled up after they were cut, as pictured above. Trying to make paper lay flat on the walls that just wants to roll up is INCREDIBLY annoying, and it took several pieces of tape to secure down, which ruined the ease factor of being able to move the templates around on the wall. Save yourself the trouble and find some flat paper to use as a template (paper bags, newspaper, etc). You will be much happier.

My sister helped me take the paper to the wall and started taping it up until we found the layout that we liked best. We hammered nails into the templates, removed the templates and started hanging the frames one by one.

Now, a note on the layout that I chose for my walls.

I have always loved the look of framed photo galleries, but one of the major things that held me back from starting one in my home is my darling little 2 year old. I was nervous about him bounding down the stairs one afternoon, running his hand lightly along the wall, hitting a frame, and it (and possibly others) tumbling down on him. Sharp edged-picture frames, pictures matted behind glass, glass that could crack or shatter, the potential domino effect of knocking down one in a series of frames...you can see why I never moved forward with this. But an empty frame gallery, without the potential danger and weight that glass panes would add, that was much more up my alley.

That said, I still decided to hang my frame gallery entirely on the top half of the wall. This would remove the temptation for my little guy to touch the frames every time that he walked past. Out of sight out of mind, right?

Also, my home has an open floor plan, so as soon as you walk in, you see this.

I didn't want all of my beautiful frames and arranging efforts to be hidden behind a sea of white spokes. Hanging the frames above the line of the railing kept this from looking too busy and cluttered from the downstairs, and added some much needed color and interest.

I wanted to maximize the look of the frame wall up close in addition to the view from the rest of the room, so I focused on bringing out the great details in each of my frames.

The color of my frames is Green Bay by Sherwin Williams. I loved the fun turquoise color, but on the walls and amidst the color scheme of rest of the room, it was just a bit too bright. So I turned to one of my favorite things, Valspar's Antiquing Glaze.

I added a light layer to each of the frames and then wiped them off with a dry cloth. This darkened the color just a bit and added some depth. I used an old terry cloth rag which gave even my plastic frames the slight appearance of wood grain - just perfect!!

I also used it to draw out the details on some of my more ornate frames. I brushed it on heavily, let it settle into the recesses, and then very gently wiped it off.

For the more ornate frames where the details were fairly prominent, I highlighted them using this gorgeous DecoArt Metallic Glaze in Olde World Patina. I dipped the edge of my cloth into the glaze and lightly ran it over the details. The color is similar enough that it doesn't take away from the newly darkened color, but there is just enough shimmer that it catches the light perfectly and helps the details pop.

I used a similar technique on the gold frame with DecoArt's Metallic Glaze in Luminous Gold. See how the little details pop?

I was in love with the look of my frame wall, but decided to take an extra step for some additional security. I pulled out my 3M Command Strips and trimmed them into 1 inch strips. Starting from the bottom of the gallery, I applied my strips to the bottom 2 corners of each frame. I leveled each frame, and then pushed the bottom corners until they were secured to the wall. Then I let out a big happy sigh!! This satisfied my "Mom Paranoia" about the frames falling on my little guy, and my perfectionist side that I was sure would always be standing back looking at the frames, trying to determine which of them were crooked. Now I could be assured that they were all level, and wouldn't shift if a troop of 2 year olds came bounding down the stairs.

Sigh! I'm so happy with it! What do you think?

Have any of you braved hanging a similar gallery? We'd love to see it!! And if you put up one of these beauties in your home, be sure to add it to our Flickr page so everyone can enjoy photos of the fruits of your labor!!

I'll be linking this to these great parties. Swing by and say hi!

Have a great week!!

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10 Tips to a Perfect Empty Frame Galley

I finally tackled something that has been on my to-do list for almost a year - my empty frame gallery!!

And I totally totally love it.

I'm not going to share it in it's entirety today, but do you want just a little peek?

The end result is perfect!

However, pulling the whole project off was a lot more tedious than I had been anticipating. My sister and I said the words, "If I ever do this again, I'll make sure that I don't..." more times than I would like to admit. And as I was putting this tutorial together, I realized that it's a bit too much for just 1 post.

So today I'm going to share my 10 best tips for tackling an empty frame wall project, complete with lovely photos of other frame walls for inspiration.

Next week I'm going to show you the detailed break down of how I did mine, with lots of lovely pictures to egg you on in the process. Sound good? Here we go.

(source here)

1.) Visualize (generally) what you want in an end result. Do you want a design that is clean and symmetrical, or a bit more random and whimsical? Do you want the frames to match precisely, coordinate, or be completely mismatched? How much of the wall do you want to cover? Floor to ceiling, just the middle of the wall, or something in between? Get some idea of what you want the end result to be before you start buying materials.

2.) Start collecting frames. You'll want to get lots of frames for this project, but don't invest too much on any one frame. Gathering the materials for this project will take some patience: check thrift stores, garage sales, the dollar store, your parent's basement, your basement...you get the idea. I even took a few frames from around my house that were ho-hum in their current location. You'll need some variety when you're putting this together and you don't want to get halfway in and have to stop to run out and look for the perfect frame. You get the picture, gather your materials first.

3.) What should I look for in a frame? You'll want some variety as you are pulling your frame collection together. Get some really large frames, some average sizes (8x10 or 11x14) and some small frames. Look for different textures on the frames: some smooth, some patterned, some rounded, some boxy, some plain and some really intricately designed. Additionally, grab different shapes of frames: basic rectangles, squares, ovals or circles, and some long and skinny frames. As with all thrift store shopping, try not to be distracted by a strange print, an ugly color or any cosmetic imperfections that can be easily managed with a little glue or paint.

(source here)

4.) Measure your spaces. Measure where you want to hang your frames, and mark out a space that is the same size on your floor where you can play around with different layouts. Arrange and re-arrange until you get a good feel for what you are looking for. Snap pictures of any possibilities that you really like, and then re-arrange just a little bit more until you find one that is perfect.

(source here)

5.) Bring a friend and plan on a break. After you are looking at frames and constantly re-arranging and re-evaluating, you will start to feel like you are going cross-eyed. Enlist a friend to come over so that you can bounce a few ideas off of them. Even if you completely disagree with their opinion, it may help you to solidify exactly what you like. It's good to get some opinions under your belt before you start putting lots of little holes in your walls. Also, plan to take a break where you don't look at the frames at all for a few hours. When you come back you will feel surprisingly refreshed and be ready to make your final cuts.

6.) Get your frames ready. If you need to do any repairs on your frames, now is the time to do it. Remove any glass, pictures, staples, backing, etc from your frames. If you want to paint the frames, now is the time to do it. If you are painting plastic frames, don't forget to use a primer to help the paint stick to the frame.

7.) Make a paper template for each frame. Lay each frame that will be going on the wall on a flat piece of paper and cut it out - now you have a template for your frames! Take these templates and tape them to the wall in the arrangement that you like. This will allow you to see the arrangement on the wall and make any adjustments before pulling out your hammer and nails.

(source here)

8.) Start in the middle. When placing the templates on the wall, start with the frame that will be at the center of your arrangement and center it on the wall. (Sounds obvious, I know, but doing this first will (hopefully) prevent you from having to shift the whole arrangement 3 inches to the left, or something like that.) Ask me how I know! When you have the center frame exactly where you want it, then add your other frames to the sides.

9.) Add nails. With the templates still on the walls, hammer a nail into each template to correspond with the hanging gear for that frame. You're almost there!

10.) Hang and smile. Take down the paper templates, and hang up each frame. Spend a considerable time patting yourself on the back. Invite friends and family over to admire your frame gallery and be modest about how long it took you to pull off. But they might figure it out for themselves when you decline to come assist them with galleries of their own.

Be sure to come back next week when I do the big reveal of my empty frame wall gallery! I took a few extra steps on my wall and I can't wait to show you how it all turned out!

Have a great week!

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Painted Mirror Makeover

I have wanted to paint a mirror for a while now, and am so excited that I finally got the chance. I got this mirror at the thrift store for $7. The mirror is actual glass (as opposed to the thinner, slightly flexible ones that you can get most places now). I loved the look of the frame but it was really beat up and coming apart on a few sides. Yikes! Not what you want to be holding a heavy piece of glass, that is for sure! I disassembled it and got to work.

First I wiped the frame down really well with Krud Kutter's Gloss Off. Has anyone seen this before? It removes the top layer(s) of poly and stain from the wood, dulling the surface, and prepares the surface to be re-painted. Apparently it has some chemical in it that helps the new paint to stick to the surface. I was all about this, mostly because I didn't want to strip the wood (I hate using chemical paint strippers, they scare me), and I don't have an electric sander and didn't want to buff the whole thing down. It worked pretty well. My rag was covered in brownish orange stain, it cleaned the wood and dulled the surface, so it worked for me. It didn't remove all of the paint like a stripper would have, but I was sticking with it. I re-inforced the corners by gluing them together with some Gorilla Glue, and then turned my attention to the mirror.

I cleaned off the mirror, lined up this stunning Iron Gate Allover Stencil from Cutting Edge Stencils, and started painting.

I used a light coat of spray adhesive since I was working on a flat surface and didn't want it to shift on me. I used a dense foam roller (also from Cutting Edge), got a little paint on it, rolled off the excess onto a paper towel, and then started rolling onto the glass. I did 2 light coats so that no paint would seep under the stencil, and waited for both to dry completely before picking up the stencil and shifting it over to cover the next section of the mirror.

(There's me! Hi guys!!)

I spray painted the frame a similar ivory color to what I used on the mirror, and when it was dry, just popped the mirror back in and nailed the back piece to the frame.

I was left with this perfect mirror makeover.

Isn't it gorgeous?!

As always, I'll be linking this project to some of my favorite link parties including the DIY Club, which you can see here. Have a great week!!

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