D.I.Y. Personalized Artwork

Thanks for checking out my tutorial on how to create a one of a kind art piece that is sure to inspire a little creativity in us all! The title is DIY Personalized Artwork which is a bit of a clue as to what we are making. If you didn't already know DIY stands for Do-It-Yourself, Personalized meaning you get to pick the colours, words, images, patterns that you use and we are making a piece of Artwork that you can proudly display in your home! Let's get started…Here's what I used in my project:Wooden canvas purchased from a craft storeChalk Paint™ by Annie Sloan in various coloursArtisan Enhancments Transfer Gel, used as the "glue" for paperVarious colourful papers, pattern napkins, scrapbook paperScissorsRubber spatulaAnnie Sloan Small Oval Paint BrushSmall artists brushGold gilding waxCome up with a rough idea of what you want to do, now this can sometimes be the hardest part! To make a plan first look around the house and see what papers you might already have. Think about magazines, newspaper, pattern napkins, wrapping paper, old books. I love to browse on Pinterest for ideas or quotes or sayings. If you find a quote you love online but don't have a piece of paper that says it…. Then make one! Open up a blank word document and type in the words. Play around with different fonts to give different feelings and colours to suit your style. Even add a shape like a square behind the words and fill it with a pattern. If you can't find what you are looking for at home head down to your local craft store (like Michaels) or even a dollar store or big box store and browse their craft isles, you'll be surprised what you can find.Choose a paint colour that suits your theme/ideas and paint a base coat. For this project I went with Chalk Paint™ by Annie Sloan because it's got great coverage and dries quick. I painted on one solid coat and then waited about 20 minutes until it was dry.Because I love to multi task, and always seem to do a couple projects at once, I continued to work on a second art piece that I had already started. Base coat was also Chalk Paint™ which was now dry. My theme for this one is Love. I found some great scrapbook papers to use, one was black with all kinds of inspirational words and the other just simply said LOVE.I made a paper template of a heart shape that I traced onto the back of my scrapbook paper and used this as a guide to cut a large hard from one of the papers. And then just cut the word LOVE in a rectangle.With my small artists brush I applied a layer of Artisan Enhancements Transfer Gel to the back of my heart cutout as well as on the surface of my wooden canvas then right away glued my heart cut out onto the wooden canvas.A rubber spatula is a helpful tool to smooth out the paper because it gives even pressure but soft and flexible so it won't tear the paper.Once the heart was in place I used the same product to glue the LOVE graphic on top of the heart to create a layered effect.Once all of your images are in place you can paint a layer of the Transfer Gel overtop of all the paper and the wooden canvas to seal the images for added durability and protection.After my seal coat was dry I wanted to add a little more embellishments so I used some gold wax and a tiny brush to paint a thin gold line round the heart. This just finished it off and made the heart stand out.I "love" how it turned out ☺Are you feeling inspired yet? Here are a couple more photos of similar projects to get your creative juices flowing, the possibilities are endless!Need help with your project? Book a seat at The Paint Bar at Interiors To Inspire! One of our artists will be available to give you a hand. Looking for DIY supplies? Check out our online store or visit our store in Calgary.I just can't wait to see what amazing Artwork you create! Remember to share your photos with me on Facebook or Instagram so I can see your creations!DeannaInteriors To Inspirewww.interiorstoinspire.com403-243-7433