DIY: Freshen Up Old Wall Art

Hey, there!

Looking for a quick, easy, cheap DIY project? I have a PERFECT project for you.

A few weeks ago, while going through the closet in our spare room, I found 3 painted canvases given to me by a coworker. I wasn't a huge fan of them initially but I'd hoped I'd find a place for them at some point... Yeah. Guess that place was the closet. So, after rediscovering them this weekend, I decided it was time to finally use them.... With some modifications.

 I knew JUST the spot for them too!

I recently moved our kitchen around & in doing so, created a little "coffee area" with the keurig & some hanging mugs. It's cute, but it's on top of a mini-pantry & there was a good amount of blank wall above it.

The picture above was taken before the kitchen was moved around, but it still gives you an idea of the space.

Anyway, here's what the 3 pictures looked like before:

Not really my style. So, after a trip to Michael's & about 10 bucks later, I had all the supplies to change these babies into something I'd want to hang up. Here's what you'll need to pull off something similar:

First thing: canvas artwork. It can be anything. I suggest something with a lot of color that will contrast with whatever color spray paint you use. The dollar store has some cheap & relatively cool options. I've had luck with canvas art at Big Lots recently & you can even check your local Walmart too because I guarantee they've got a selection of canvas art at a decent price. 

Once you've got your artwork, stop into your local Michael's (in the scrapbook/stamp aisle) & get a few of these. I absolutely LOVED the honeycomb design on this Make Me Pretty Stuff template. It's a bendable plastic material & it's super easy to work with. These were the largest templates they had at my local Michael's & they were 4.99 a piece. They had a bunch of other designs & I literally loved every single one of them. The winning designs were picked using eeny miney moe so you know they're good. :-) Don't want to spring for templates like these? Make your own! Poster board or card stock & an exacto knife can absolutely create the same effect with a much, much smaller price tag. Bonus points for creativity too! 

The next thing you'll need is some spray paint. I always have spray paint laying around because on a regular basis I ask my husband to paint things red or black for me. Don't even ask. Just know that my house has a LOT of red & black... 

I'm a pretty big fan of rustoleum spray paint. It's so easy to use, the color lasts & in my experience, the colors are vibrant & pretty. 

Anyway, I suggest taping the corners of your template to the painting. Do it in a way that doesn't interfere with the painting itself. We taped off the sides of the canvas. Then you just spray paint evenly over the canvas/template. I had to do 2 coats so depending on how thick you spray, you may have to repeat this a few times. 

The finished product was pretty snazzy. I really love the fact that our artwork is custom & it matches my kitchen really, really well! Plus, honeycomb! SO OBSESSED. 

 As you can see, I only ended up using 2 in the kitchen, but the 3rd has found a place in my office. The starburst design is pretty fun. I think maybe there's still too much of the background showing. But, my husband thinks it looks great, so I figure it's good enough for now. :-)

I'm so happy with how quick, easy & cheap these were. It's a super fun way to add a personal touch to an otherwise undesirable canvas painting! Not to mention, it was a really fun project for a warm, Saturday afternoon while cleaning the garage!

Check back in a few days for a post about another fun DIY project we've finished recently! <3 p="">