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!

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You can go your own way. . .

One of the many cool things about blogs is (are?) the endless supply of ideas and inspiration. Seriously, it’s awesome. Sometimes I’ll see a really great idea on a blog and decide to try my own version. Okay, more than sometimes. That’s pretty much the entire premise of my blog.

While doing a little surfing, I found this gem from henryhappened.com.

See the original post here.

Stephanie has some other really great DIY fashion items but this one really caught my eye. Her calypso bracelet knockoff. I liked that she saw something in a store and realized she could make her own version for much less. My kind of gal! I loved that the bracelet was so easy to make, because anything more complicated than this might have been too intimidating. I’ve never really made jewelry before. Sure, I’ve added charms to necklaces and braided my fair share of friendship bracelets (nothing fancy though) but that was the extent of my experience. This seemed simple enough to dive right into though.

Here are my supplies, purchased at Hobby Lobby during a 50% off sale:

• Leather strips/strands
• Long chain ( I chose one with larger links.)
• Beading wire
• Some clasps

I had intended to get the same materials in the inspiration bracelet but, while in the jewelry aisle I thought, why not try to make an edgy bracelet? Is that even a term in jewelry? Who cares! Let’s get leather! Because I went with a thicker chain and heavier material than thread, I used the beading wire to keep the braids together, instead of just a ribbon clamp.

I wrapped the pieces around my wrist a few times (with a little extra) to get the correct measurement. I originally tried to make the bracelet with two strands of leather and one strand of chain braided together, like the inspiration photo, but it just didn’t mesh right. So, I made a simple leather braid and then wrapped the chain around it. The beauty of this simple project, if you mess up it’s no big deal to start over.

I secured both ends with the beading wire. I made the wire kind of messy looking which also added to the edgy look. That’s it, I’m making it a word.

Tip = I waited to cut off the excess leather until the bracelet was complete, clasp and all. That way, if it was too short, I could redo without wasting materials. After all, I'm new.

Then, I simply attached some clasps to the wire. That’s all it took.

Here's my edgy version of Stephanie's bracelet.

I may still make a bracelet more like Stephanie’s. I really enjoyed making my on jewelry, even if I have yet to wear it. It’s going to happen, I swear! It was a fun project to try and I’ve certainly got my wheels turnin’ for more DIY jewelry.

Just like my desk makeover, I was inspired by something I saw on a blog, decided to try to recreate the look on my own, and then went in a different direction. Apparently, I’m extremely scatter brained. At least now I have an edgy bracelet.

What about you? Have you ever been inspired by something and then went and did the opposite? Do tell! I’d love to know I’m not the only one! It makes me feel less crazy.

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