Thursday, July 30, 2015

Easy DIY Seaside Wall Decor

One of the photos in yesterday's Wordless Wednesday post was a sneak peek of a project I finished in less than 10 minutes for the seaside guest room.


I decided to DIY this artwork after seeing this piece (and others like it).


Would you believe that frame costs $40?  It's a 12" square and it's $40.  Beach decor is very popular.  Popular decor has its advantages (you can find it anywhere) but it also has its downfalls (priced ridiculously high because demand is high).  In the case of my seaside guest room, I don't have a budget.  I am trying to get it done and I am using what I have (junk in my stash or change in my purse - haha).

More Than a Decor Choice

When Hubbs and I took our first vacation, I wanted something to remember our trip to the beach.  We scoured beaches for shells and it wasn't until we took off our shoes and hiked behind a restaurant after dinner one evening that we found some.  Hubbs used his socks to hold the shells and I used my sandals to sift through the water in search of shells.  We found a sock full and hurried to the car barefoot so excited to have a piece of our romantic time to take back with us.  As we scurried to the car barefoot and giggling, I remember thinking we have to do this on every vacation... and we have.  I have socks and bags and jars of shells and rocks from our tropical vacations.  I love beaches and the West Indian in me feels connected to the island but, more importantly, I have memories on beaches I want to see and cherish.

On another note, WHY was I even considering buying shell artwork when I have an assortment to choose from?

Easy DIY Seaside Wall Decor

Supplies
- Frame - I bought a frame for my craft room for $1.90.  It came with a nice mat and pictures of an old church someone had framed.  I planned to put family photos in the frame and include it in the photo gallery but I went a different direction and the frame sat.

- Card stock in room-coordinating colors - I used scrap cardstock I had on hand.

- Shells of your choice - I used a shell from our travels and I purchased a bag of small starfish on clearance from Michael's.  They were marked down to $1.50 for 4.

- Scissors

- Tape

-Hot glue gun

Step-by-Steps

1.  Remove the mat from the frame.

2.  Cut the card stock to fit the mat openings.



3.  Tape the card stock down to the back of the mat.

4.  Place the mat in the frame with the glass BEHIND the mat.

5.  Flip the frame over and place your shells on the mat.  This will allow you to decide on placement before gluing them down.


6.  Once you've confirmed placement, glue the items to card stock.


7.  Allow the art to cool 5 minutes then hang on the wall!


It fills the wall perfectly next to the window.  How easy would it be to tweak this for ANY room or item?  Seriously, what little knick knacks do you have from your travels that would make you smile as you pass by?  Pull them out, glue them down, make your home decor MEAN something and save some money while you're at it!

Happy THRIFTY Thursday!

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