Paint chip art

I’ve been looking for an art piece or decor item (such as a pillow) to help tie the colors in the office together. The color scheme is a variety of blues and some pops of orange. Weird, I know, but I’ve seen it done somewhere so THAT MAKES IT OK. I had trouble finding anything I liked in those colors (Did I take that as a hint? No, I did not.)

One day, while surfing through blog land, I came across this: (Source here.)  

I love it! Using free paint chips to make your own modern art! I knew this would be a great (and cheap) way to bring my color scheme together. If you type in “paint chip art,” 1,500,000 results pop up so I realize this isn’t a new or innovative idea. It’s just new to me, like so many things I won’t admit to here.

My supplies included:

-          A crap load of paint chips from a couple of home improvement stores. I recommend going a little outside the color range you’re planning on, so you have some wiggle room.

-          White poster board, cheap is the name of the game.

-          A frame. Any frame will do. I got mine during a Hobby Lobby sale.

-          A white mat, to give it a finished look.

-          A circle punch (comes into play later)

-          Glue and/or double stick tape

I wanted to do a fade effect with the colors to blend the oranges and blues together and make it look like they belonged together. I’m making this color scheme work. So, I also picked up some neutral creams and whites, again, for wiggle room.

I tried a few different layouts.

The beauty of this project is that you can get different types of paint chips for different looks. And, if you mess up, it’s not as if you’ve wasted a lot of dough. Always a plus for someone like me, who just sort of dives in and hopes for the best.

I spent some time with this project, allowing myself to see different forms and decide which I liked best. Eventually, I settled on this style.

I cut the long strips at the white borders to make color blocks. I arranged the blocks so my two main colors  (a deep blue and a deep orange) were at opposite corners. Then I used double stick tape to keep them in place.

The line of circles in the center were actually from these paint chips. No hole punching at this point of the project.

I had this hanging on the wall for a week or so but I am completely incapable of leaving things alone. The squares weren’t bad but I wanted something a little more . . . playful . . . whimsical . . . just different.

Enter my new hole punch.

Also bought during a Hobby Lobby sale. Will I ever pay full price again for crafts? Hells no!

I punched a few holes in each if the paint squares and spent some time placing them in a collage that made me happy. I chose a kind of bubble wave, if you will. I didn’t glue the dots down until I was sure I liked the placement. I marinated over the final design for a few days. I have commitment issues with home decor. Just ask my mom about how long I took to pick out a shower curtain in college. (Answer, MONTHS.) Once I was sure I liked the bubble wave, I just used some trusty glue to adhere the circles to the poster board. The circles were a little too small for double stick tape. Glue was easier. I popped my new art into a frame with a simple white mat and, I think, I’m officially done with it.

Cost breakdown:

- Frame - $5 (on sale)

- Mat - $5 (also on sale)

- Hole punch - $3.50 (on sale and used a coupon)

- Poster board - $.50 (you guessed it, on sale)

- Glue – on hand

- Paint chips – FREE!

Grand Total - $14

You could get away with this project for even less money if you have some of these items on hand. I had some small frames in my possession but I wanted the 16x20 size. The best part? Mistakes with the paint chips cost $0 so feel free to try different layouts, like I did!

I’m planning on trying this project again for some fresh art in our living room but I’ll be using a different layout and colors. Any layout suggestions? Have you tried using paint chips for anything? There are tons of uses!