DIY Autumn Leaves Mural

Last Fall I wanted to paint my living room ceiling a rich pumpkin pie color.  I thought it would give the space a warm, cozy feeling for the holidays, and be a great accent color with the smokey blue I already had in the room.  But once finished, it just seemed to be missing something.  I decided to bring the ceiling color into the room, by painting a mural in one corner.  I must admit to cheating a bit, by looking at various vinyl wall decals to get an idea.  Once I decided on branches, I added some cream paint to lighten the ceiling color a bit, sketched the design on the wall, and got to work!  I LOVE how it turned out, especially since Autumn is my favorite season for decorating! 

Here's a hint: for the falling leaves, I printed some basic leaf shapes out on paper, then traced them onto the wall.  This is much easier than it looks, there's no detail work, just filling in solid shapes with one color.  I did go back over the edges of the leaves and branches with a darker shade of the same color to add dimension, but that's optional.  It'll be stunning either way!  (And remember, it's only paint!  If you don't like it or get tired of it, just paint over it!)

Create Your Own Art!

The cheapest way to have art in your home is to make it yourself!  Not everyone may be a 'natural'artist, but everyone can make art.  I've photographed all the stages of painting a flower, you can do any subject you choose!  www.morguefile.com is a great place to find photos that don't have copyrights, to use for inspiration.  I paint with acrylics, since they're water-based and clean up easily.  Choose your canvas size and photo, or use your imagination for a colorful abstract piece.  And this doesn't have to be expensive!  A canvas is only $6 or so, and a beginner set of acrylics is about $12.  You don't need fancy, high grade brushes, either.  Don't be intimidated! :) Painting should be fun!

For the first step, I print out a black-and-white photo the same size as my canvas. (I used 16 x 20 here, you can start much smaller.) Consider a gallery wrapped canvas, with sides that you can paint to eliminate the need for framing!  Save even more money!

Second, use carbon paper laid over the canvas, and trace over your design to transfer the picture to the canvas.  I did mine one-fourth at a time, using tape to hold it in place.

Third, with a close-up flower design like this there's no background to do.  If you have a background on yours, do that first, slightly overlapping the edges of the flower.

Don't get overwhelmed by the whole picture, just approach it like a jigsaw puzzle, one piece at a time!  I do one petal at a time, checking the photo for color.  You'll probably need 2 coats to make sure you cover the edges cleanly with no background showing through.

Lastly, I go over the whole painting once more with a slightly watered down coat, to smooth the shading and add highlights.

Note: if you're doing a landscape, start with the horizon line.  Then do the sky, then the middle, then the foreground.  Do the farther objects first, then the ones closest to the 'front'.  Experiment and have fun, then hang it on your wall and enjoy the compliments!

Another note: :-)
I love painting flowers, and currently have some for sale at www.cottagerosestudio.etsy.com

Autumn Flower Arrangement

The first project I'd like to share with you is a fall decoration I call the $4 Flower Arrangement.  It's pictured at right. 
Supplies needed:

• One empty glass bottle
• a couple dozen twigs, about 1/4-inch in diameter
• four artificial floral sprays in fall colors (I purchased mine for $1 each at Dollar Tree)
• hot glue gun
• string, twine or florist wire

Step One: Prep!
For your glass bottle, you can use an empty juice or frappacino bottle, wash it out before using.  Gather some twigs, and use hand pruning shears to cut them to approximately the same length.  Make sure they come a couple inches above the bottle when standing up.  Bunch your selected flowers together and wrap the stems with twine or florist wire.  Trim the bottom so the stems are the same length, and the arrangement looks nice when placed in your bottle.

Step Two: Glue!
Use your hot glue gun to attach the twigs all around the bottle, making sure they don't go beyond the bottom of the bottle so it will stand up without wobbling!

Step Three: Viola!
Place your flowers in the bottle, and disply on any table or counter in your home!  Feel free to be creative with this project!  Here are a few ideas:

• add a raffia ribbon around your twig 'vase'
• add long, slender twigs from birch or other trees to the arrangement for vertical interest
• try this idea with a taller container for long-stemmed artificial sunflowers (available at most Dollar Trees)
• Use twigs to encircle a short round basket to hold a 'mound' shaped arrangement, or replace the flowers with artificial fruits and vegetables

Total cost: about $4
Time spent: about 30 minutes