EllaBoo & Co.: scrap

I have essentially nothing on the walls of my house and I really need to fix that. Reason # 876 why I love the blog world, it's all about ideas and inspiration and inexpensive ways to create beauty in your home. So, I have big, empty walls, no money and very few original ideas, where to begin?

Well, what do I love? Colour. Texture. Fabric. Big pieces that make a statement. (and cover up big, empty walls)

And what do I have? Wood. Scrap wood. Lots and lots of scrap wood. And paint. Lots of small bottles of craft paint in all my favourite colours!

Hey, maybe I can put the paint on the wood! And then somehow ~~attach it all together~~ charm someone into attaching it all together for me. That could be art, right?

Well, I think so. And you might too. I've been inspired by many, many beautiful wooden art projects so it's definitely not an original idea, but that's ok - I've only had one original idea in the last year and I used it up on my chalkboard dresser, which is totally worth checking out, if only because it's my only original idea... I do like to think that anyone can make this concept their own just by using a palette of your favourite colours and assembling the pieces in a way that makes you happy.

So here's how you too can create your own wall art in just a few easy steps.

1. Sweet talk someone (in my case, it was my husband) into making you a whole bunch of fabulous pieces of wood furniture (may I suggest a bookshelf, a mudroom locker/cubby system, picnic table, bench, and outdoor lounge chairs? Man, I really am charming!)

2. Insist on saving scraps because you have a really great art project in mind. Leave them in a plastic bin for 5 months.

4. Take out the pieces and slather a different colour paint on each one, sometimes squirting two or even three different colours on one piece and letting them mix together as you spread the paint around. Sand off some of the paint you just put spent all that time applying.

5. Lay out all the pieces trying to figure out how to put it all together. Completely lose interest in the project and put all the pieces back into the bin.

7. Let stand for 1 year (at least). If some of the pieces are strewn about the yard by small children and left there through the winter, so much the better. If you did it right, the pieces will be dirty and stained and maybe even a bit warped!

8. When one evening, your husband takes out all the pieces and his saw, spring into action and lay the pieces out again, sawing off small bits here and there, and form them into a sort of wooden quilt.

9. Use a pocket jig tool thingy (which makes "pocket" holes so you can attached wood pieces side-to-side).

10. Attach two long pieces of scrap wood to the back from top to bottom to stabilize it and give you something to attach the hanging wire to.

And there you have it! Art. Made out of wood, covered in paint, looking like fabric, with lots of texture and impressive large-wall covering capabilities.

Don't over think it. It's going to look beautiful no matter how it goes together so don't worry if there are two of the same colour beside each other, etc. This blue board somehow escaped the natural distressing process of being left under the picnic table all winter and looked too clean so I took a pinch of soil out of my garden and rubbed it into the paint - the best thing to make things look dirty is dirt!

The imperfections are what makes it so appealing to me, I don't know what that circle mark is, but I like it! Ditto that split in the grey piece. I think it was a mistake cut made early in our furniture making days - love it!