Decorating Tip #4 {Wall Collage with SIX fun ideas!}

If you've been following along with us over the last couple of weeks you know that I have been sharing design elements that I used in decorating my son's nursery.  If you are new to Cut, Craft, Create, don't forget to catch up on the first and second posts.  Don't worry if you aren't decorating a baby's room- these tips can be used in all rooms of your home or even in your office!

Today's decorating tip is a wall art collage that takes common design elements and fills it with some unexpected details.

There are 6 parts to this design.  You can replace each of these details to fit your room/theme in particular to make it your own.


#1- Word Art (With AMAZING frame!)

I typed up words that I think of when imagining my sweet little boy growing up and experiencing life.  Some of these words were: run, play, dirt, curious, joy, adventure, and explore (my favorite word on there).  I want my child to experience life in all it's messiness.  I want him to explore his world and play in the dirt.  I also included his name to be positioned in the very center of the word collage (For the sake of not having his full name plastered across the internet, I changed it above to "Baby Thumper!"  Thanks photo editing!)

After typing up several of each word in different fonts and sizes, I printed it out on regular paper and cut into strips.  I chose to then tea-stain the paper strips (make unsweetened tea or coffee and then "blot" the paper with a sponge).  This is optional, I just like the look.  Let the paper dry before continuing.

To put it all together I made a backing that fit just inside the frame from a heavier cardstock.  Then using a basic glue stick (found in the scrapbooking or adhesive sections of any store) I stuck all those tiny little paper strips on to the backing.  Put it all together, hang and enjoy!

(Note:  Check out your local thrift stores, flea markets, antique shops, etc for inexpensive but beautiful frames such as this one!)


#2- Detail Memorabilia

For my son's Peter Rabbit nursery I opted to hang a "vintage" copy of the Peter Rabbit story with a crisp black frame around it.  The two pieces are not connected in any way.  The frame was hung as usual and the book was hung with a nail just inside the front cover.  I then stuck the front cover to the first page with a few Zots (glue dots) so that the cover didn't swing open but the nail is still "hidden".

For another room, you could use this idea to hang up your grandmother's necklace, a family crest, special ribbons, etc. The possibilities are endless!


#3- Large Focal Picture

I'm not going to say much about this because there are so many examples of this photo on Pinterest- such as this one, this one, and this one (which is a little different but I love just the same).  I wish I would have had my letter blocks to spell out his name across the bottom but ended up using large chipboard letters from my scrapbooking supply (again, I covered his name in this photo)

For a room other than a nursery, make a large print of a favorite family photo, an aerial photo of your home or even just something you like (think: stunning photo of the Grand Canyon, etc).  I recommend Shutterfly for photo prints and they have deals all the time where you can get a 16x20 print for free (just pay shipping).


#4- Inspirational Quote

I made this out of extra foam board I had from my anniversary map (never throw anything away- ha!), cut it to the shape I wanted, painted it with acrylic paint and put vinyl lettering on top.  We actually made this as a prop for one of our maternity photos and loved it so much it became a part of the nursery.

{Photo via J. Hendon Photography}

You could make your favorite quote, phrase or just something fun (like "whip it good" in the kitchen!) in the same way I did, or by creating a wood sign, painting a canvas or even printing on paper!   This one is so easy to personalize and if you find a sign in a store you like, even easier!


#5- Monogram Piece

We've all seen the different ways that these craft letters can be decorated and used.  Many times they are displayed in a nursery to spell out baby's name.  I suggest using only the first letter in a larger collage like this.  It's personalized and sweet without having their name everywhere (especially since his name was already present in a few other design elements shown already).

For another room, simply use the initial of your family's last name.  The year that you got married or some other significant date could be used as well.

{Love the engraved button with our last name? My mom ordered these for me from Pick Your Plum.  It's a company that features a few different items on super sale each day.  They probably wont have these buttons again *maybe!*, but it's definitely worth checking them out!}


#6- Smaller Photo Frame Set

Using some extra 4x6 frames I had on hand, I hung them in a horizontal-vertical-horizontal-vertical pattern along the right side of the collage.  These were all photos from the first few days of our son's life while still in the hospital.  One of just him, one each of him with mommy/daddy and our first family photo (which I looooove!)

It's easy to use this idea in any layout to make a "line" along an edge and bring together all the separate pieces a little better.

{Your Turn!}
Which design element is your favorite?  My son loves looking at the photos of him (#3 and #6) and touching all of the different textures on the wall.  This would be a great project for a large open space in a living room- personalize with family initials, special photos and important family mementos!

Happy Crafting,
Kelsie Ann