Making Awesome out of Almost Free
Disclaimer: As I am about to post this, I realize I'm posting about a collage. A collage. Really? Apparently I've got nothing else going on. Don't hate me. I promise all future posts will be just as pointless, if not more so!
Our living room used to look like it belonged in a model home. I say this, because frequently I would find our artwork hanging in model homes. Our earth-toned decor started getting sleepy. It felt oppressive. I was bored. So I tried to sell our couch and buy a new, interesting, lighter couch, and it didn't sell. Which is probably a good thing, because our kids are gross, and thank goodness for dark brown microfiber that washes easily and hides what doesn't come out!
Our living room used to look like it belonged in a model home. I say this, because frequently I would find our artwork hanging in model homes. Our earth-toned decor started getting sleepy. It felt oppressive. I was bored. So I tried to sell our couch and buy a new, interesting, lighter couch, and it didn't sell. Which is probably a good thing, because our kids are gross, and thank goodness for dark brown microfiber that washes easily and hides what doesn't come out!
So I had to get creative. And go against my comfort zone. After a lot of work, I feel like we're getting somewhere. I scoured pinterest for the rooms that I loved the most and the elements these rooms had in common. Most of them had collages. Really interesting collages. I loved this one, this one, and this one. I'm sure there are some people that can just naturally throw together a perfect collage, but I needed a formula to make it awesome. Lucky for you, I'm sharing it!
Awesome Collage
You'll need:
-a watercolor (I made ours),
-an interesting non-framed piece or two (but not
too many! You want the square frames to be the dominant element.
-unique art pieces that don't really tie together
(I'm a collector/hoarder of just such art)
-and the most key element: an awkward portrait.
See our awkward portrait? That is me, done by a dear sister Ali many years
ago. It has been hiding in a closet ever since. Finally, the time called for an
awkward portrait. What luck!! I think it deserves a close up.
Truly fantastic. She makes other great art and you could even commission her to make an awkward portrait for you. Check out her funky awesome art here. (The mustache was an add-on that we found in our Christmas stockings).
The hardest part about building a collage is knowing when to stop. Remember to treat your white space like a vacation. Too much white space makes you bored, but the occasional break makes the decorated bits so much better!
The hardest part about building a collage is knowing when to stop. Remember to treat your white space like a vacation. Too much white space makes you bored, but the occasional break makes the decorated bits so much better!
Isn’t that clock awesome? Ikea. No joke. And you
can build it in anyway you want. Garrett may have wet himself. He didn’t, but
it was a possibility for a moment. I've seen people recover these clocks with interesting fabrics or paper, and they look awesome. Lots of potential folks!
Don't care about the clocks and think my chairs look awesome? Yep, made those too. Check it out here.
P.S. If anyone can guess the embroidery hoop reference for "her?", I'll be super impressed, and probably your friend for life.
Arrested Development???
ReplyDeleteTotally!! I am super impressed! You are a genius.
DeleteHa! I knew I had a college degree for something!!! Now I don't feel so bad about my $$$$$$$$$ student loans!!! ;)
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