Think about the rooms you see on television home make-over shows or in magazines and stores. Wall art is the visual anchor for the room. It ties together the paint colors, furniture and accessories. It sets the tone and style, but it can get pricey and most people don’t feel qualified to create works of art for their walls. That’s where scrapbook papers come in handy.
Let’s say you want the dining room to look like a mid-century modern home or you have in mind a feminine foyer. Or your family room has hand-me-down tan sofas and could use a bright pick-me-up. You might be someone who changes her mind or moves often, or perhaps you’re a person who likes your décor to reflect the season. Or you want to “style” your home to get it ready to sell. There are lots of reasons to redecorate or update a space and doing it without spending a lot of money is just plain smart.
THE SOLUTION
Head for the 12 x 12 papers: Think in terms of papers that look like they’re suitable for framing, but don’t overlook solid color papers and interesting textures. Choose papers that evoke an era (the 1950’s, the flapper era of the 20’s and 30’s - retro or trendy, it’s up to you). Break out of your comfort zone. It’s paper, a small investment, not a new car or radical plastic surgery…
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For the dining room or kitchen, choose papers filled with bold photos that look like they’re fresh from the farm stand or colorful, vibrant illustrations of vintage cherries and pears. Or pick papers with diagonal stripes and solid colors that coordinate with them.
For a child’s bedroom, choose papers that reflect the child’s interests, large flowers or soccer balls, animal prints, glitter papers, and such. By making inexpensive wall art, you can change it as they grow from toddlers to teens and send lightweight wall art to their college dorm or first apartment.
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Seek out interesting abstract textures, unique handmade papers with botanical inclusions or other sheets that you find appealing and decide where to use them after you get them home!
Prints, photos or original works of art this size can cost a bundle, but scrapbook papers are affordable and easy to find. Look through your supplies. You may already have what you need.
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PLAN THE ARRANGEMENT
Use low tack tape or enlist a couple of friends to help you hold the papers on the wall while you make your choices and plan the arrangement. Think in terms of simple groupings. For example: three squares side by side or two rows with two blocks per row for a clean, more formal and minimalist arrangement, an uneven row for some jazzy movement. Move the sheets as many times as it takes to get the look you want. Change your mind then change it again.
Do you want green apple panels on both ends of a grouping, red in the middle, or a row of five panels with red apples everywhere except for the next to the last square on the right? If you don’t want contrast, all the apples can be the same color. If you want two squares with apples alternating with three sheets of textured black Core’dinations paper that you’ve sanded to reveal a lime green core, that’s fine. Who says you have to stick with apples? Seashells and sand textures would look great in a kitchen or dining room, too.
COMPLETE THE WALL ART
Now, make the panels. Take the paper(s) and secure to blocks of STYROFOAM™ with foam-safe glue, finish the sides of each block with ribbon, paper or fabric, and your wall art is ready to hang - expensive looking, lightweight and easy to move, with an investment of less than an evening and only a few dollars. (And, of course, it offers an excuse to shop for scrapbook papers, not that any of us needs one…)
If you want to spend a little more time and another couple of dollars, do something to the 12 x 12 papers before you put them on the panels. Do a little layering and embellishing, or some sanding and distressing. Create simple quilt blocks or spell out someone’s name, one letter per block. But keep it simple and remember, you’re not making scrapbook pages to hang on the wall - you’re making an art piece. A six-square arrangement will cost less than 25 dollars.
TIPS
- Take paint chips or fabric swatches to the store to help you make your selections.
- Choose heavier cardstock weight papers rather than lighter more fragile ones.
- Use sawtooth hangers or adhesive putty to hang your creations; they are very lightweight.
- Cover both sides of each panel so you can reverse your art for the holidays or other occasions (one side a high-style, trendy abstract, the other with candy pattern papers for family birthdays and Halloween).
To find the products mentioned in this article and shown in these layouts, check with your local scrapbook retailer. Browse our Premier Retail Stores for coupons to a store near you.
