Once again I’m taking part in the unofficial Pinterest Challenge hosted by Young House Love and Bower Power.
This time around I decided on creating some artwork for our house. We are seriously lacking in the artwork department.
I’ve been drooling over this ampersand artwork created by Elise Blaha Cripe ever since I first laid eyes on it. I am also an ampersand lover, so this was right up my alley.
After I made the decision that this would be my project, I made a trip to Home Depot for supplies. I had a few different thoughts about the materials I wanted to use. I knew I wanted dark stain, so I went with dark walnut. But I had a hard time deciding on the nails I would use. Home Depot has some great copper nails that I thought would look fantastic against the dark wood, but in the end I thought a more subtle approach would be the way to go so that I wouldn’t find myself regretting my decision.
As for the string, I wanted something neutral so anything too bright was out of the question. I considered both silver and gold, but ultimately ended up with white. I like the classic and clean look of it, but I especially like the way it pops against the dark stain.
I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on wood, nor did I want something too heavy that would keep me from hanging it, so I chose a pre-cut piece of plywood. I believe the dimensions are 2 x 2 1/2. It’s light weight and it was cheap.
I basically just followed Elise’s tutorial and ended up with a new piece of artwork that I couldn’t be happier with! I can’t wait to figure out where I want to display it. I love, love, love it! Thanks so much for the fantastic inspiration Elise.
Okay, enough talking…
I’m not sure why that line is running down the side of the wood. Jeremy sanded it for me before the stain was applied and you couldn’t see it then, but it showed up after he stained it. I don’t mind it though and actually think it adds some character.
After making this, I am excited to dive into more art projects. I’ve been wanting to paint a big canvas for a long time, but haven’t had the nerve. I think now’s the time. Plus, I’m so tired of looking at all my bare walls!
Oh, here is the price breakdown in case you’re interested.
wood-$6.99
stain-$4.89
nails-$2.69
string-$2.49
And I used some cardboard I had on hand to create my stencil-free
total: $17.16
Not bad for original artwork!
If you would like to make your own string art, I would encourage you to take a look a Elise’s blog for her tutorial. Or just look around her blog. It’s awesome!
Linking up at:
See you later!
Tashia Doyle 