DIY Gold Leaf Art

Even though my silverish leaf desk withal haunts me inwards my dreams almost a calendar month later, I decided to receive gilt leafing 1 to a greater extent than time. I'm non easily deterred, as well as was determined to conquer this elusive petty leafage creature. This time, I take in it would last best to conduct something smaller than a desk, as well as opted for art.
Good news. Turns out gilt leafing isn't all that hard. 
As long every bit y'all gilt leafage something the size of a pepperoni.

I actually dearest the gilt foil prints I've been seeing everywhere, exactly they are commonly pretty pricey. So, I decided to brand my ain instead. I created iii unlike prints, 2 for the living room gallery wall (seen here!) as well as 1 for the bedroom.

I framed it inwards a Target frame that I talked myself out of buying for roughly 8 months. But as well as therefore it went on clearance for $5 as well as my heed said no, exactly my trunk walked it direct to the checkout lane.

I intend it hypnotized me.

Anyways, turns out they're a perfect pair...

You can't deal destiny.

So, here's what you'll ask to brand unopen to gilt leafage fine art of your own.

Supplies:

Gold leafage foil (I used this one.)

Stencil (This one comes amongst letters, numbers, as well as symbols.)

White cardstock (I dearest these heavyweight mixed newspaper notebooks from Target. They are entirely $5 as well as I've been using the same 1 for all my artwork for nearly 3 years.)

Scrapbooking gum (This one worked best for me. I tried basic Elmer's glue, exactly the foil kept flaking off.)

Large brush (I used a $1 makeup brush from Target.)

*All inwards a higher house links are affiliate links

Let's larn started!

Step #1:

Place your stencil on the cardstock as well as apply the gum evenly within the stencil. The scrapbooking gum had a sponge tip as well as a sudden tip, which worked out perfectly. You tin dismiss also role a pocket-size paintbrush to spread the gum evenly if needed.

Step #2:

Carefully take away the stencil as well as house a canvas of gilt leafage on transcend of the glue. 

It's super flimsy, therefore become slow amongst the manhand.

Step #3:

Let the gum dry out completely. It took nigh an hour. I got impatient several times as well as totally had to offset over. True story. When the gum is completely dry, lightly dust the excess leafage off amongst a large, soft brush. 

It's kinda fun to lookout the shape appear.

And that's all in that place is to it...easy gilt leafage art!

I can't facial expression to demo y'all the other 2 I made. Hopefully, I'll destination the living room soon. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

I'm withal chasing after that turtle. 

That's all for today, friends! Thanks for stopping by! 

*Update: You tin dismiss encounter the other 2 prints as well as living room discover here.

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10 Budget Decorating Tips

As ya'll know, I've been working on our living room lately. Today, I see I would demonstrate you lot some of the changes I've made in addition to portion some of my budget decorating tips I utilization when trying to max out my niggling budget.

I'm the foremost to admit that I brand a lot of decorating mistakes, but 1 thing I am practiced at is stretching a dollar.
I volition brand that dollar do the SPLITS.

The final fourth dimension I blogged virtually this room was inward May of final yr (in a very embarrassing post), in addition to quite a few changes receive got taken identify since then. But, only for fun, let's move yesteryear dorsum to the real starting fourth dimension in addition to squall back what the living room looked similar the twenty-four hours nosotros foremost moved in. 

It was basically a blank canvas. It's changed virtually a meg times since then, and I'm certain it volition alter 1 time again soon. 

Anyone else endure from compulsive-pillow-swapping-syndrome?

Anyways, here's where nosotros are today. 

The couches, ottoman, in addition to TV are pretty much the entirely shop bought items inward this entire room. The residuum I've gathered from thrift stores through the yesteryear few years.

As I mentioned inward my teaser final week, I made a few pillows out of some colorful stuff in addition to spray painted a thrift shop tray gold.

And in addition to hence I only spent a lot of fourth dimension making stuff in addition to collecting things that I loved.

A chip of Jesse's music gear is inward only virtually every room inward this line solid (he's a human being who tin play a hateful keyboard), but I've decided that his guitars brand for bang-up decorating accessories. He doesn't empathise this at all, but enjoys the fact that I move yesteryear on photographing his dear guitar.

This one's for you, boo.

Some former thrift shop halt tables were painted a soft white (furniture pigment tips works life here) in addition to I works life a genuinely bang-up bluish in addition to white ginger jounce at the thrift shop for around $7. 

I experience similar normal people in all likelihood wouldn't acquire excited over that find, but TRUST, at that spot was excitement inward my niggling frugal heart. It didn't know what to do alongside itself.

And only to endure authentic, no, at that spot are non flowers inward my line solid on a daily basis. Jesse ever knows a spider web log post is virtually to move on when I convey $3 flowers habitation from the grocery store. 

It only makes for a prettier picture. :)

Sidenote though: I got that niggling clear foursquare vase at the Dollar Tree for a buck. I've seen them for $5-10 everywhere else. 

Dollar s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d.

And at 1 time for my favorite novel addition.

I decided to create a gallery wall around the TV.

I intend I spent a full of virtually $30 on the gallery wall, which feels similar a major accomplishment since 1 new frame normally costs $20.

Also, yes, Kevin is back. 

I don't wanna beak virtually it. 

But, I will. Next week. For now, let's only give him a friendly moving ridge in addition to move yesteryear virtually our business.

Moving on.

While mixing metallics used to drive me crazy, it's chop-chop move yesteryear something I love. For the gallery wall, I used silvery in addition to aureate frames. I works life a few modern silvery frames on clearance at Target, in addition to sourced the residuum of the frames from thrift stores. 

Most of the fine art was handmade or something thrifty.

Here's the gallery wall breakdown.

I made a few abstract pieces of my ain using several bluish in addition to light-green paints combined alongside the amazing aureate foliage pigment I used here.

I've works life that fifty-fifty the most simplistic fine art looks bang-up when matted in addition to framed.

I also made a large abstract slice of fine art that was super slow to do, but totally ended upward beingness a favorite.

I framed that slice inward a large $2 thrift shop frame in addition to only spray painted the mat white. It was originally a soiled orangish color, but it was an slow fix.

And run across that niggling aureate foliage anchor?

 I made that using the same tips I shared inward my aureate foliage fine art tutorial.

I made a aureate foliage ampersand, too.

It fits inward good alongside a few thrift shop finds...a botanical impress (re-framed inward a modern frame), a metallic element seashell impress (kept inward the master frame) in addition to an ornate mirror.

And to farther my obsession for all things cat, I added a giant jaguar print.

I works life it for $4 a distich weeks agone at the thrift shop (which I sneak peeked on Instagram) in addition to nearly fainted when I saw it.

And you lot intend I kid. You tin also run across my niggling ginger jounce in addition to seashell prints that I scored nearby.

It's weird, but I brand no apologies for my feline obsession.

To know Cheese in addition to Tootie is to endure obsessed alongside them.

Oh, in addition to those horses? 

 Got 'em from a book. H5N1 99 cent thrift shop book.

It was titled 'Careers for Horse Lovers' in addition to provided me alongside vii bang-up Equus caballus photos in addition to 700 questions.

*One-manhand-per-post quota fulfilled.

As for the mirrors on the gallery wall, those all came from the thrift store, too. I genuinely works life all of these at once, in addition to couldn't move yesteryear them up. I gave them all a quick coat of this gold spray pigment (affiliate link) earlier adding them to the gallery wall, every bit they were originally a niggling likewise antique looking.

And that, friends, is the living room. 

So, at 1 time that you've seen the latest living room updates, completed for a full of virtually $100, let's beak virtually a few ways I stretch my dollars.

Here are my top 10 budget decorating ideas.

#1. Mix in addition to Match.

The telephone commutation is using a niggling former in addition to a niggling new. Find a few bang-up novel pieces in addition to fill upward inward the gaps alongside things you lot collect over time. In my experience, most of those gaps tin endure filled alongside thrift shop finds....if you're willing to receive got the essay to look.

#2. Know where to look.

Over the years, I've scoped out nearly every thrift shop inward town. Most of them are non great. Several of them are amazing. I banking firm check out the amazing ones frequently, every bit it's a foremost come upward foremost serve situation. My best thrift shop tips tin endure works life here. I also often search for items on Craigslist (tips here) in addition to pass a few weekends during the summertime going to local garage sales in addition to estate sales.

#3. Don't endure deterred yesteryear the electrical flow color of an item.

Once you lot tin hold back yesteryear the electrical flow color of an item, your whole niggling decorating reason volition change. The possibilities are endless 1 time you lot empathise that it's the shape that matters. You tin ever Rub n Buff, paint, stain, or spray paint. (Here are some bang-up spray pigment tips to acquire you lot started.)

#4. Make your ain pillows.

I used to waste matter a lot of coin buying pillows. That ended the twenty-four hours I discovered this.

#5. Paint furniture.

This sums upward my life. Basically, only move yesteryear read this.

#6. Update hardware on furniture. 

Even if you lot pigment thrift shop furniture, the hardware is normally genuinely outdated. H5N1 genuinely slow agency to update it is to either supervene upon the hardware all together, or to spray pigment it a amend color. Either agency it makes a huge difference. 

#7. Make your ain art.

I don't attention how unartistic you lot intend you lot are. I hope that you tin brand abstract art. Plus, if you lot position it inward a bang-up frame, it volition hold back similar a meg bucks. I know this because virtually 75% of my fine art is genuinely terrible in addition to if I position it inward a matted frame, Jesse normally thinks I bought it. Fact. :)

#8. Pass on the junk, purchase the classics.

I've fallen into hoarder-territory several times throughout the years spell thrifting. Over time, I've learned that I don't necessitate to purchase every niggling exceptional I similar only because it's a dollar. I've learned the importance of waiting for those really bang-up finds. 

My describe a fast 1 on is to inquire myself if I volition similar this 10 years from now. If I receive got to intend virtually the answer, I necessitate to laid it down.

SET. IT. DOWN.

#9. Don't endure afraid to fail.

The best move of budget decorating is that it allows you lot a lot of room for messing up. If you've entirely spent $50 on that dresser, it's non the halt of the reason if you lot ruin it because you lot got a wild pilus to pigment it pink. 

#10. Be unique.

This is my favorite tip.

 Be unique. 

In my ain niggling journey, I've works life that through limitations comes creativity. When you lot can't only run to (insert whatsoever shop floats your boat here) in addition to plop downward thousands of dollars for novel stuff, you're forced to intend exterior of the box. The infinitesimal I stopped being embarrassed about that in addition to genuinely embraced the fact that I do things differently, my reason blossomed. 

And I know yours will, too. 

That's all for today sugariness friends. 

Thank you lot for sharing inward my niggling journey. :)

For related posts delight banking firm check out the following:

10 Thrift Store Shopping Secrets

Our Living Room: 2 Years of Design Flops

That's all for today! 'Til side yesteryear side time!

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How To Use Watercolor Pencils (aka my favorite novel fashion to brand art!)

Hey ya'll! Jesse left town for a few days for function as well as I spent my evenings inward sweatpants, surrounded past times sleepy animals, watching 90's sitcom reruns, as well as playing amongst arts and crafts supplies. Because my life is wildly fascinating.
If you lot were a wing on my wall, you lot would wing away. Because you lot would live bored.
Anyways, from all that excitement came i actually awesome discovery...watercolor pencils! They are quite mayhap my novel favorite thing.

Ya'll know I am obsessed amongst making my ain art, as well as receive got pretty much done thence for our entire solid (my fave examples here). Not because I'm that proficient at it, but because fine art is expensive as well as I'm frugal to a fault. Plus, there's something actually cathartic to me almost drawing as well as painting. 
When the cat's away, the mouse makes art.

I ordinarily only brand abstract fine art because it's thence slow as well as you lot could basically describe a circle as well as tell ABSTRACT, but I've been actually curious almost watercolor pencils for awhile as well as decided to finally endeavor them out lastly night. You may receive got seen my footling sneak peak on instagram. I wasn't quite certain how it would plough out, but I tin directly officially tell that I honey them.

I made four pieces (which are each going inward dissimilar rooms that I volition live sharing soon), thence for directly I'll only present you lot a couple. One of my faves is this one....the watercolor feathers.

What I honey almost these watercolor pencils is that they are thence precise, thence you lot tin describe or doodle anything you lot desire to. It's thence difficult to add together footling details amongst normal acrylic or stone oil pigment (at to the lowest degree for me, but my science score = two out of 10). So, amongst these watercolor pencils, you lot tin sketch something out similar you lot would amongst a colored pencil, as well as and then when you lot add together water, it softens the lines as well as makes it await to a greater extent than similar watercolor. Plus, you lot tin fifty-fifty larn your brush moisture as well as brush over the tip of the pencil as well as purpose it similar you lot would a normal watercolor palette. Endless possibility, I tell ya.

For supplies, I used basic watercolor pencils and some heavy duty paper made for watercolors (links accept you lot to my Amazon affiliate shop). I was actually pleased amongst the assortment of colors that came inward the set, as well as establish that it was all I needed to exercise only almost anything.

To create my feathers, I lightly sketched them amongst a grayness pencil as well as and then i time I was satisfied amongst them, I outlined them inward my base of operations color.

Next, I colored inward each plume as well as traced the outline amongst a darker color. I too shaded inward a few spots amongst some dissimilar colors. I establish using several dissimilar colors, mixed inward amongst some dark as well as chocolate-brown creates a lot of depth as well as interest. 

The to a greater extent than the merrier, pretty much.

Also, I am admittedly the WORST at shading, thence if you lot are an actual artist, delight only nigh your eyes as well as call upward that I'm only a overnice daughter drawing some feathers lonely inward my sweatpants.

After you've completely finished your drawing, it's fourth dimension to larn your feathers wet. I only used a footling mug of H2O as well as a modest arts and crafts brush. Just delineate all of the areas of your drawing, chip past times bit. You tin mix as well as blend some of the areas if you lot desire to. The H2O makes all of the colors a chip deeper as well as much, much prettier. You tin encounter where I had only painted some H2O on the plume inward the below pic...it makes the color much darker.

You tin purpose equally much or equally footling H2O equally you lot want. I left some areas precipitous on this piece, only because. Here is the concluding result.

And only for fun, here's some other slice I created. This is how it looked earlier I added the water.

 I'll present you lot how it turned out soon. :)

Well, that's all for today, ya'll! Thanks thence much for visiting! I can't hold off to present you lot where all of these novel watercolor paintings ended up. 
Seriously...Can't. Wait.

For related posts, you lot tin banking corporation tally out the following:
The gallery wall I created some the TV lastly week!
My golden leafage art
My exceed 10 DIY fine art ideas
Remember that i fourth dimension I used my laundry room shelf for art?


Until side past times side time! 

That's all for today! 'Til side past times side time!

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