I’m finally getting around to posting about some of the DIY art that adorns my new industrial bathroom shelves. Sorry to leave y’all hanging! We had a family wedding this weekend (yay for awesome new sister-in-laws!) and I’ve been up to my eyeballs in trim for weeks. I’m just caulking and painting so it’s not even blog post worthy, but it is looking awesome and I’m happy to finally working in the boy’s room again. I’m getting ahead of myself though…we’re supposed to be talking about DIY bathroom art. Well, calling what I made art might be stretching it a bit…let’s go with “decor”. This isn’t Van Gogh or anything.
Easy Art #1
Let’s start with the easiest “art” EVER. You think I’m exaggerating, but I’m not.
Here’s the big secret…
(Also, internet, meet my penguin pajama pants. They we’re on clearance in the mens section and they are awesome. No judging.)
That’s it. Just take whatever it is you want to frame that isn’t really frame-able and throw that sucker on the copier. (The frame is from Cut It Out and I painted it “pure turquoise” by Behr, same as the stenciled walls.)
I showed Adam my DIY art after he got home from work (well, the police academy) one day and he said “looks nice…I like that one on the top. How’d you do that?” And I (proudly) said “I photocopied the quilt!” To which he responded “oh”. Like as in “oh…I thought the answer was going to be so much more awesome than that.” What he should have said is “oh! that is the simplest, most genius idea ever!” at which point I would have made out with him for having his brain be so in tune with mine.
Easy Art #2
This is my first time ever using washi tape and it’s kinda amazing. I can see why craft blogs have been going crazy over it for the last couple years. (I bought mine on Pick Your Plum forever ago, But you can also get it from Downtown Tape and a ton of other places.)
So all I did for this was take an old frame, paint it, and cut out a piece of pizza box as my canvas. Because around here even something as simple as a Papa Johns craving can morph into home decor. That’s normal right?
Then I painted it green (like the dresser/vanity in the bathroom) and started adding tape.
And there you have it…”art”.
Easy Art #3
This one takes a little more effort than putting a quilt on a copier, but it’s still simple.
I started off with two scrap pieces of wood. The bottom one is actually a panel I pulled off the vanity dresser almost a year ago. Yeah, I keep that stuff… I have hoarder tendencies when it come to scrap wood.
I stained the wood (provincial by Minwax), painted the other piece, and glued them together.
Okay, don’t freak at this part, but I used my Silhouette to cut out the words on vinyl. You do not have to have a fancy machine to make letters though, I used to make words using this technique before I bought a Silhouette.
Then paint your words…
And now you have a custom sign! I already have a “today is the day” sign in my guest room, but I like the saying so much that I want it in a place where I’ll see it first thing every morning.
(Yes, I know my words are slightly crooked. It’s annoying.)
So there you have it…hopefully y’all can use these as a jumping off point to create your own crazy easy art. Now, off to paint more trim…
Oh! Also, my kitchen remodel made it into the finals for the Best DIY Project of 2013 over at Not Just A Housewife. If you have a spare sec would y’all mind heading over and throwing a vote my way? Much appreciated :)
Julia at Home on 129 Acres says
January 22, 2014 at 9:04 pmCan I judge the store that puts penguin pyjamas in the men’s section? I love the quilt art. My oh was totally “OOOOOOH! How cool is that!?!” I love the great colours in that quilt. What a great idea.
Kate Craig says
January 22, 2014 at 10:55 pmlol!
Ashley says
January 23, 2014 at 6:00 pmYes, judge Target…they totally deserve to be judged for putting cuddly penguins on mens pants. And thank you for the excited “oh!”. Who needs an excited husband when I have you guys :)
jamie lynn says
January 22, 2014 at 9:06 pmVoted and good luck!! :) I totally recognized your quilt pattern in the first picture at the top, first I wondered if you bought a new one just to frame, then I thought maybe you bought a new different one for the bed and cut up the old one to frame, then I thought maybe I should start reading because she probably explains it. Ha! Love the idea, never thought of that!! I also recognized that the second one was washi tape because I bought the blue damask pattern one from PYP too! It was the first time I’d ever bought it and wasn’t sure what I’d use it for so I only bought that pattern (2 rolls though), and it’s awesome! I haven’t yet bought any others but I definitely want to since I started using it. It’s so fun and simple to make a boring picture frame look totally different and fun! Always love your projects and best of luck again in the best of 2013 on NJAH!!!
Kate Craig says
January 22, 2014 at 10:55 pm“oh! that is the simplest, most genius idea ever! :) for real, I love it!
Liz says
January 23, 2014 at 12:50 amMy boyfriend has those penguin pants and I have made them mine in recent years. They are amazing!!!
Sam Pereira says
January 23, 2014 at 1:10 amVoted! (Good luck!)
I love simple art projects that look amazing… especially when you can be in your p.j’s when you do them.
And how cool is it to say “The Police Academy”?!
Ashley says
January 23, 2014 at 5:11 pmIt’s pretty cool…my husband is a badass, haha. Thanks for the vote!
Jenny says
January 23, 2014 at 8:07 amI totally have those penguin pants too. Love them!
Ashley says
January 23, 2014 at 5:12 pmOh my gosh, I can’t believe you wear mens pants … ;)
Diane says
January 23, 2014 at 8:37 amLove your art, your PJs, and your kitchen–you got my vote!
Ashley says
January 23, 2014 at 5:09 pmThanks Diane, appreciate it!
Laura says
January 23, 2014 at 4:10 pmI love simple projects like that! And by the way that her cut look really good on you :)
Ashley says
January 23, 2014 at 5:06 pmHey…someone noticed! Thank you! I hacked off about eight inches :)
Maureen Hayes says
January 23, 2014 at 9:06 pmHey! I LOVE the pj’s and you look super cute in them, BTW! Great idea for simple art and they came out great. Now I will just have to “copy” you (get it?!!!). . . Yeah, I know I am getting punchy.
Tara says
January 24, 2014 at 2:43 amLove this collection of easy art – and the quilt-to-copier trick? Genius, lady!
hill says
January 24, 2014 at 4:09 pmThis picture of you is gorgeous! Your body is very beautifully proportioned!
Rachel says
February 3, 2014 at 5:01 pmI’ve recently started renovating my room, your website inspired me to start my own blog as a way to document what I’m doing. Thanks to your posts I now have lots of new ideas for my room.
I loved the paper bag floor and is something I’d like to try in the future on one of the rooms in my house.
Thanks for the inspiration and tips!
Deanna says
July 20, 2014 at 9:27 amMay I ask, where did you get that quilt? I love the colors and the design! I love it!
Ashley says
July 21, 2014 at 9:43 amIt’s from The Company Store. This particular pattern is discontinued, but they have lots of beautiful designs and come out with new ones each season.