Cough Syrup and Crafting

I spent this weekend taking a couple doses of cough syrup to ward off a cold and spending some time in the aisles of Hobby Lobby. Since Husband had to work all weekend, I had a chance to watch some TV and engage my inner craftiness.

For less than $10, I created unique wall art. And by unique, I mean one-of-a-kind because the only edition is hanging on my wall.

First, I bought a 2-pack of canvases on sale at Hobby Lobby, and then I browsed at Goodwill for an interesting, aged-looking black and white book (preferably a children's dictionary with pictures). If you find one, I'm still interested. That search was a failure, but I did find an atlas from the 1960s, which inspired me to create a map-themed collage.

Next, I tore out map pages that adhered to a similar color scheme. Then, I applied a healthy layer of Mod Podge to the canvas and layered the maps at different angles. I find it helpful to only apply Mod Podge beneath the paper until the first layer dries. For those of you who know me well, or who lived with me during college, you know about my love affair with Mod Podge. It has my whole hearted endorsement for all things crafty.

After the first layer of Mod Podge dried, I used another beloved craft tool, my hot glue gun, to glue the paper around the edges of the canvas. Then, I trimmed the edges with scissors so that the paper just covered the frame of the canvas.

Then, because I love Mod Podge, I applied another thick layer over the top of the maps. And, I used some scrapbook paper to add a catchphrase to my crafty canvas display.

If, like me, you don't have a Cricut, you can always find a boxy font, (to make it easier to cut out the letters) reverse it, and then print your letters. Or if, like me, you forget to reverse the letters, you can just use them to trace your letters on the correct side of the scrapbook paper. I added the words with another healthy coat of Mod Podge, and voila, I have a new addition to the henceforth empty walls of my stairwell.