January 12, 2010

Buntings and Dustjackets




I know, the two really don't have much in common. But that's what's been occupying me today. While I am still plugging away at the mudroom/office (or as I'm thinking of calling it the studio) in the evenings, the other day I was making beds and realized that after 6 months of living here, I really haven't done anything in the kids room other than make roller shades (before we even moved so that doesn't count) and having the painters paint the trim lime green.


And it was about then that I picked up the empty dust jacket from The Ladybug Girl for the zillionth time and though, huh, maybe instead of tucking this away or worse, recycling it, something could be done. So over the weekend the idea percolated in the back of my mind until I came up with the idea of using it for art. Modge Podging it, in fact, with some fun paper and making that art.

So here's the thing. I'm kind of a sucky Modge Podger. I'm not sure if I'm just not patient enough or if I just don't have the best tools, but it often ends up a mess. Which meant that this project had to be done cheap, I didn't want to waste money on something that might not work.

Yesterday I dug around in the (still not cleaned! But I'm getting to it!) basement and found some empty frames tucked under the stairs. I spray painted them with the same red I used to make the night stand in the kids room (oh yeah, I did do that. OK, I haven't totally neglected them...) and today Evie and I picked up some foam core and scrapbooking paper at the craft store.





This afternoon, while Evie danced to the Anastasia soundtrack (it's officially seared into my head now, thanks Evie) I cut and pieced and glued - I mean Modge Podged - and ended up with something surprisingly decent for their walls.







And because I had a ton of paper left over and also because Will was razzing me about my habit of never straying form a color scheme, I cut out a bunch of triangles for a bunting. A few stitching on my sewing machine (ah... I love that thing) and the kids wall doesn't look so forlorn anymore.



Oh, and the boxes are clementine crates that got paint at the same time as the frames and paper backs during the Modge Podge extravaganza. Of course, the kids aren't terribly impressed, especially since they have taken to sleeping on the floor in the closet. Strange children!