Wall art on the cheap

My studio is bare. Well, actually the floor is a hot mess with all my crafting/sewing/scrapbooking supplies waiting to be organized, but the walls, they are bare. I needed some big art on the cheap. I figured the best way to fill a big space was with a big canvas. Sounds great right up until I remember that I can't paint worth a flip. So what can I put on a canvas? Washers! Off to Hobby Lobby we go and buy a 24x32 canvas (with a 40% off coupon of course!). Then we go to Home Depot.

I bought 6-25count packs of washers in various sizes.


I also picked up a tube of StrongStik. After reading the package of 32 different kinds of adhesives, we decided on this product. Oh, and I can't leave out the pack of gladiolus bulbs. We go to check out and the lady says "Whacho gonna do with all these?" and I say, "I'm going to glue them to a canvas." Looking very confused she says, "Uh, that'll be $12.43, mam." I don't think she got it!

By the time we got home it was about 10:30 and I think my creative genius had already gone to bed. Keep in mind at this point I didn't even know what I was going to design the washers into. So, I call for the hubs and ask him if he had any great ideas. He says why not make them into the shape of a pair of scissors. Good idea babe! So we lay them out and I love it.


It would have been awesome if the canvas wasn't still in the wrapper and was already painted. I didn't have the heart to dump them off. I made the hubs do it while I went to the basement to get the paint. I painted the canvas the same color as the bathroom walls, the very pale blue. Once it was dry, we laid out the washers again and I wasn't loving this pair of scissors. It looked like a goofy bow. Poot! What do I do now? I tried a cross, a sans serif P monogram, an ampersand, a peace sign. I wasn't loving any of it. I think the hubs heard my huffing and puffing in the other room and came to help. He tried a question mark, an eyeball (I looked like the lady at Home Depot when he tried that one!) and a huge spiral. By this time it's after midnight and I'm just frustrated. I tried the P monogram again but this time made it a serif font. That little serif at the bottom made all the difference. The next day I started gluing all the washers down with my StrongStik.


It worked, but geez, it took fo-eva! 2 hours later, I was done and I love it. All those circles just make me happy.


Now I have to figure out where I'm going to hang this beauty. I only have one shot to get it right. Putting holes in walls that I just drywalled gives me serious anxiety.


What do you think? Do you love the monogram or should I have stuck with the scissors? Either way, I got a huge art piece for under $20.00.

Check out all the great stuff at the link parties I am sharing at this week!