Burlap Art Work Display

I seem to be a bit random in my posts lately. I think it due to the weather. If it's nice outside, I want to show you outdoor fun. If it's raining....like it is AGAIN today, I seem to move my thoughts inside. So...today I want to show you my latest indoor project.

Does anyone else have problems with a refrigerator overflowing with your children's artwork? I guess I shouldn't say problem because I LOVE to look at all of Ethan's creations. To me, they are like looking at miracles. The problem that I have is that it looks messy & they are always falling! Especially when Ethan decides he wants to play with the refrigerator magnets!

So, I moved all of his (and my niece & nephew's) artwork to the coveted place of over the couch! It was awesome! I loved looking all all their art & the variety of colors made my...in the words of Ethan...made my heart feel happy. It worked great & was super cheap to create...thanks to Pinterest. However, when the windows were open & the house fan was on....these precious pictures were blown to smithereens! 

So I moved them to the hallway across from our entryway. I liked how it looked because it was right above Ethan's oil pan magnetic board...lots of fun & color in this space! However...the house fan STILL got to these guys. So, even though I really liked them in this space, I had to think of a different way to display them.

Enter my new favorite things....burlap.

I have seen people use burlap & cardboard to create a bulletin board on Pinterest, and that was what I was planning on doing. Recently, we have been ripping up our carpets & laying hardwood laminate flooring. And the flooring comes in long boxes of cardboard! I cut my piece of burlap to the size I needed & then headed for our garage to gather up some cardboard to attach the burlap. But I found a GREAT surprise when I went to the garage...I found this piece of foam insulation. I ran inside & asked my husband if I could have it. Turns out it was my father-in-law's. He had sent it with my husband in order to protect a saw he has loaned us to help us cut our flooring pieces. Corey texted his Dad to see if I could have it. Does that strike anyone else as funny? Most gals might get excited over jewelry or flowers but I was over the moon excited for a scrap piece of foam! LOL!

Well, my father-in-law said I could have it, and I took it right over to the piece of burlap...it was the PERFECT SIZE!!!

I got out my stapler & began attaching the burlap to the foam. I think I might need to add some kind of tape to it as well to keep it secured.

Here it is! Burlap attached to a piece of foam! I could have tackled the wrinkles, but I kinda like them. Plus, I wasn't quite done...

The next part was to add my frames. I wanted to use actual frames, but we are really trying to use what we have & I don't have any old frames laying around the house...well....not yet! Well, what's a gal to do but improvise! I grabbed a couple of Sharpie markers & some paper...

Using extra paper & some of Ethan's artwork, I played around with layout. Keeping in mind that I would be drawing in frames, I needed to keep the space between the papers & the edges of the board. After playing around the a few layouts, I found one that I was happy with & began to trace the papers with a marker.

Here is the board with the layout of my "frames." Next, I needed to embellish these guys to make them a bit more interesting!

Here is my board with my frames. I didn't use any stencils because I wanted it to be a bit organic. However, I have a couple of OCD friends that would HATE this...they would get out all kinds of fun stencils & edgers. I think either way is fun...it's whatever you want to look at!

Finally, I nailed it to the wall in the four corners. I think it looks really good above Ethan's magnet board. I'm already thinking I may want to make a frame for this guy...just to make him pop a bit more.

And here it is with Ethan's artwork attached! I used straight pins to hold his art in place. I think this looks so fun & it only cost me the cost of the burlap which I got on sale for $2.99 a yard a couple of weeks ago. This took less than an hour to do! Ethan keeps walking by & commenting on how "cool" it looks...that's the best part!

http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/2013/05/party-junk-185-burlap.html