Built: artwork ledges restyled.
Part of a larger project which I can’t reveal quite yet, I built these ledges a year ago, which my kids usually use for all their schoolwork and have now been styled more appropriately for a family room setting.
Pictures and pieces that I enjoy, some I made myself.
The framed chalk drawing:
I used ideas from chalk artist Dana Tanamachi, she did the West Elm Holiday 2011 catalog and now is on the cover of Oprah’s O magazine Feb 2012 issue, amazing.
Get the paper mache mushrooms full how-to in my post here.
For the chalk drawing I started with a painted red frame and 1/4″ plywood painted with black chalkboard paint, sketched out my words on paper first for spacing, then drew with chalk:
The appliqued letter C:
Print out your letter, trace onto back of fusible interfaced fabric with lightbox, cut out, pin into place and sew with buttonhole stitch into place:
The wooden stars:
Paint stars onto wooden blocks:
Drill holes to match size of dowel into bottom edge of star block and bottom center of stand, then glue and hammer dowel into holes.
The hardware cloth memo board:
Here’s how I made the memo board:
1. Make a basic frame from flat molding:
2. Cut hardware cloth to fit:
3. Staple gun cloth into place:
4. Then hammer flat, pressing into molding a bit:
5. Add cove molding over hardware cloth to create frame:
6. Then finish edges with thicker flat molding on edge:
7. Stain with Minwax Special Walnut:
This styling project was a bit of a challenge for me because most of my projects are utilitarian and this was simply decorative.
On a normal day the ledges look like this, full of my kids artwork:
But today they were restyled for another project and I promise to share a complete picture and all the details in due time.
Really, how do you do it all? Are you crafting for hours, super organized – what's your secret?
i showed these to my husband and i am going to make them! probably not til march or april, but i am going to make some for emmy's room and am really excited- thank you! you are the best!
Hey Jamie, love this project! Any way you can send me the link to your fab mushrooms! They have stolen my heart!