Cheap, Pretty and Good – DIY Art for Your House

 

Here are two simple and easy ways to make some modern style art for your house.  Both methods are quite inexpensive compared to buying regular ready-made art in a store.  And since you get to choose your own fabrics, papers, and paints, they will be one-of-a-kind as well.

 

Photo property of Kelly at The Complete Guide to Imperfect Homemaking

Simple, Thrifty DIY Art

This first one from Kelly at “The Complete Guide to Imperfect Homemaking” uses Styrofoam insulation, heavy fabric, a staple gun (or some similar way to attach it), heavy fabric in a pattern you like or canvas, and some basic picture hanging hardware.  Some lighter-weight fabrics would probably work as well.  You just don’t want the words on the insulation showing through.

If you have some of these things around your house already (I think we have all of them), it may not cost you anything out-of-pocket. :-)  It would be a great way to use up Styrofoam insulation pieces from a home-improvement project.

In the second project she painted on the canvas.  One idea to remember is that you can push several canvases together and paint one large picture, then divide it with spaces between when you hang it.

Also, since this is done with Styrofoam insulation, you could use your imagination to add some other items with pins or tacks.

 

Photo property of Jeni at Becoming Martha

Easy Art Blocks

Jeni at “Becoming Martha” made these pretty squares with wood shelving, craft paper, some paint, and picture hanging hardware.  She also shows in a second post (here) more of the details of making this and adds some corner holders for 8x10” pictures.  With this method you can add your own photos to the art and change them out once in awhile.

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Notice that you could combine these two ideas and make the smaller squares with the Styrofoam insulation. :-)

Creatures Great and Small – A Royal Butterfly Café

 

Queen Butterflies on a Queen’s Wreath vine.

Our Guest Room Do-Over, Part 3: The (almost) Finished Room!

 

This Part 3 of how we fixed up our guest room.  See Part 1 and Part 2.

Ecclesiastes 7:8  Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof…

We got it done in time for my in-laws visit!  Well, almost done. :-)  I still have things that I want to make or change.  Also, since the paint was barely dry, I didn’t hang much on the walls.  I think the lady at the store told me it would take about a month for it to dry good and hard, especially since we were painting on paneling.

My husband and I picked up the mattress and box spring at Costco on a Friday and stored them in our dining room till we were ready for them.  My neighbor sister-in-law helped me on the following Tuesday with setting it up and arranging the furniture.  We had it set up like this (below) at first because we thought it shouldn’t be on the board covering the weak spot in the floor on the opposite side (mentioned in the last post).  But, I didn’t like the head of the bed against the windows, and it wouldn’t fit with the all the furniture against the other windows.

You can see here that the blinds and valances were not all up yet as well.

My mom came over to look and mentioned that they had had their bed on the opposite wall where the board was.  This made me think, so I measured the bookcase and decided that it would all fit if we flipped the lay out.  My husband confirmed that it was perfectly safe to put the bed on the plywood board, so he and I rearranged it that evening.  He also got the fixtures up for the window treatments.

The next day, the day my in-laws were to arrive, I did the finishing touches.  Here are the results.

I really like the pale aqua paint!  It’s such a soft color that it doesn’t photograph really well, but you can see it in the pictures where I used a flash.  It is a lovely cool color for this Texas climate, I think!

The bed, the “quilt”, and bed skirt were purchased.  We already had pillows and sheets.  Two of the blinds were really shabby, but we had practically new ones in the garage which we were able to install after buying some new brackets.

The “Welcome” picture (see top photo) was created from one of my own photos.  I Photo Shopped it to match the salmon pink in the room and make it look a bit more artsy.

The bookcase was a long-term loan from my sister-in-law who was storing it in our garage. :-) 

I love the way the evening sun shines into this room.

Most of the décor on the bookcase was “shopped from our own stuff”.  The ‘50s items came from my dad – an aluminum cup (perfect shade of pink) made into a vase with a bit of tulle, the pink pottery dish and the three oval serving dishes.  The oval serving dishes were the perfect colors for the room, so I stacked all three.  I put some packages of snacks in them in case my in-laws felt snack-ish at night or early in the morning.

Since my in-laws will be using this room the most and since they and my own parents were all missionaries in Africa, I put in some African touches as well.  The painting and wood carving on the top are from East Africa. [Painting: Lake Nakuru]  I had wanted to line the back of the top two sections with fabric for more color interest, but the painting was so large I decided it was enough.

The framed Bible verses were made in Photo Shop with vintage graphics I found free online.  We did buy the picture frames.  The candle holder and feathers came from other areas of our house. (The candle is artificial – LED, so no worries about fire or damage to the bookshelves.)  I still need to select and add more books from my dad’s overflow collection in our garage. :-)  The trash can was also donated by my sis-in-law.

From the three storage tubs that were in here originally, I picked out the one that best complimented the décor.  I hope to make a cushion to put on top for more comfortable seating.  The painting is another African scene from my parents.  [Painting: Tana River]

The “bed side table” is actually an old T.V. console my parents gave us.  Hopefully at some point it will be replaced with something that takes up less space.  It’s a bit too wide in that spot.  I didn’t put anything on it yet other than a coaster because I thought that might be the best spot for a suitcase at this point.

The smaller nightstand by the door was another donation from my sis-in-law.  The light was discarded by my parents.

As you can see there is no headboard at this point.  As mentioned before, my husband said he might be able to fix up a metal footboard we have, but that may take some time.  We’ll see.  It isn’t necessary.

I’m not sure yet what I’m going to put on this wall.  I’m still thinking I might install a “quilting wall”, but just try to make what’s on it attractive when we have guests.  It would need to be a more finished and nice looking one, if I do that.  The old tablecloth method probably wouldn’t look so great in this room now. ;-)

The valances were made with a combination of fabrics.  The solid and floral came from my stash.  The solid was a “mistake” order – wrong color.  The floral stripe was a strip from a “jellyroll”.  The Swiss dot was purchased for this room.  I had to really pay attention when I was putting them together to make sure that the polka dot sections were on the outside of each set. :-)

Well, that’s it for now.  I may try to do an update later if/when I get some more things done in the room.  I still have ideas of things I’d like to add, change or do.  My in-laws really liked it, but the best part was probably that they slept really well on that bed!  That made us all happy. :-)

Thoughts from the Past – Thoughts on High Priests

 

Painting by Aharon Hacohen

Here is a post from my old blog.  I’m republishing it here with very little change.

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July 17, 2006
Thoughts On High Priests

Hebrews 5:1 For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: 2 Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. 3 And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. 4 And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. 5 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. 6 As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

First of all, notice in verse 1 that the high priests of the Old Testament were taken from among men. They were ordained for men. They were ordained in things pertaining to God.

Now we have no earthly high priests in the church age, yet there are men who exalt various positions as if it were somehow a high and holy office. Curiously, they seem to think too often that they are ordained (and that's the very word they use) to men for God. In other words, they are some kind of extra special people whom we should honor because of they supposedly speak and act on God's behalf to the rest of us peons.

But notice the next verses. A true, God-fearing, Old Testament high priest should have had compassion on the ignorant and those who had strayed because he himself had the same tendencies. He had to offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as the people's. (How rare is that attitude among some today?)

Next we see that no man takes this honor to himself. Aaron was called of God for this job. He was not the one who announced that he was "called to preach" or "priest," as the case may be. And, his ministry was for men - on their behalf - including himself. God selected Aaron for this role, and he really had little to no say in the matter. (Ex. 28:1, Num. 3:10, Num. 17)

The interesting thing is that Christ, the Son of God, did not raise Himself to the position of high priest. He was given that office by His Father. And, He was given that office to minister on our behalf. If the Lord Jesus Christ did not exalt Himself to a position of honor, ought men to do so?

And what about "the rest of us"? Should we be exalting men - or ourselves?

1Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

Notice that we are also called to something. Because Christ suffered for us, we should follow His steps. We should not glorify ourselves or men. We should not put ourselves in a position that God has not given us.

1Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

We are called out of darkness into Christ's marvellous light. Therefore, every believer, as priests of God directly under our High Priest, should show forth His praises.

Here is are some questions we can each ask ourselves: Who does my life praise? Does it praise some man, family, college, group, church, organization, etc.?  Does it praise Jesus Christ who took upon Him the form of a servant and was made of no reputation?

Philippians 2:5-9   Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

Revelation 5:11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

Evening Song–I Love My Savior, Too

Psalms 31:23  O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.

Psalms 116:1  I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.

Sew Happy Friday- Tumbler Chevron Quilt with Jenny Doan

Here is a pattern and instructions from Jenny Doan at the Missouri Star Quilt Company for a fun quilt made with tumbler patches in a sort of zigzag pattern.  You can use a tumbler ruler or template similar to the one Jenny uses, or you can make your own.

Creatures Great and Small – Flighty Things