Hello desperados!

Holy smokes, Friday’s already here. I’m not complaining at all but boy how time goes flying.

Today I bring you some inspiration from the most stylish corners of the internet so you can get a few ideas on how to display your art at home. There are many styles you can choose from so take your pick and start your own little home gallery.

1: Tape it up. This one’s super easy and it has a mood board feeling which I’m totally digging – like a Pinterest at home! For this you can use some black electrical tape or if you feel fancy, you can visit etsy and you could get some neon tape.

2: Single one. You know what they say, simple is beautiful. For this style you can pick a signature piece – something that really strikes your mood. Usually it works best one the painting is in the middle of the room with lots of space around it or near the corners of the room like in the picture above.

3: Go bare. Yup, loose the frame! As you can see on this one, the art work is hanging freely. You may want to add some sort of weight on the back of it (on the bottom, either wood or a thin rod) to keep it from flapping around. This style could be a good choice for any bohemian-inspired rooms.

4: Load it. Go big or go home. There’s no rules for this style other than go wild. I’ve seen lots of variations from this one, some crazier than others but the idea remains the same – experiment with different shapes, sizes and colors. TIP: Go to the thrift store and look for less-than-fortunate paintings, you can always reuse the frame (super affordable!).

5: Leaning. Got extra shelf space? Get some art on it! This style comes in handy for people on rental spaces where you can’t really drill the crap out of your wall (and risk losing your damage deposit). You can also try leaning some pieces on the floor against the wall – make sure to choose a spot that’s not on the way or someone could end up stepping on your precious art.

6: Stack’em. Like in the image below – just get a couple pieces to start and stack them vertically. I recommend this style for places with narrow walls and tall ceilings. You can try making a feature wall with a whole column of stacked art. All the way to the bottom. Pretty bold!

Alrighty friends, hope these easy tips help you display your art like a pro. Happy weekend!

photos: 1. Karin Kong | 2. The Brick House | 3. World Interiors 2011 via | 4. The Plumed Nest via | 5. Veneer via  | 6. Apartment Therapy

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IT’S HERE!!!!!

Finally, god jesus christ jehova Buddha… I did it! I finished my collages AND I added a few tips on how to do your own. This project was fun fun fun and I still have a few magazines left, so even though I am done,  I know I’ll be cutting and glueing on my spare time.

So. First things first – what do you need to create your own collages? Well, guess what? I did a little list of Collage Tools just for you. I could’ve  bought more stuff and could’ve gotten some fancy gadgets but – since I am broke and all – I decided to purchase only the basics. So in theory, this tackles 2 challenges; creativeness and tight budgets!

{Tools}

1: Precision Cutter: I got it for $11.00  -  the one I got {in the image} was pretty good – I liked it because it has this soft grip {orange part} and it doesn’t dig on your finger. There was a cheaper one for like $7.00 but it was all one piece of metal and you could tell it was going to hurt after holding it for a while.

2: Foam Brush: $0.59 – if only booze was this cheap. The foam brush will help you glue small parts that are delicate and easy to rip. It also really helps when used around the edges, so you don’t leave finger marks. Plus it feels super good when you stroke it gently on your face.

3: Glue: one the of most important items – you may think any glue will do and my friend, you are sadly mistaken. I first got a liquid “craft glue” that was apparently paper-friendly. Well, they lied! my collage wrinkled like an old man and it bent and it was horrible! I nearly cried…after pulling myself back together I went to the craft store and got a glue stick. What a breeze… so good, clean and doesn’t wrinkle. BE CAREFUL with it though – small pieces will rip apart when you use the stick on them, so, my advice is to take a little piece of paper, then rub it on the glue and then use this piece of paper to brush other small parts. So clever huh?  Total price of the glue show: around $6.00

4: Tweezers: you’ll need them to pluck your eyebrows while you wait for the glue to dry….joke! Ok, you’ll need them to place small pieces of paper on your collage or to pull edges when you are overlapping clippings. Total price: don’t know, they were in my bathroom.

5: Coin or lid: super useful to cut circles, I don’t know about you, but I suck at using a compass. Total price: your call

6: Cutting board: I got a cheapy cheapy one – $3.99! it’s actually a clipboard . The fancy cutting board that professionals use costs like $30.00, so, unless you are planning to devote your life to creating collages – I’d stick to the clipboard.

7: Magazines: well, the options are endless. It all depends on the style of collage that you want to create. In my case I used old National Geographic mags and some clippings that I got at the Vancouver Flea Market. My friends donated some magazines too – all thanks to a posting on my Facebook wall. Trust me, your friends want to throw away their old mags – and you know what they say; fortune of one means less for some. Price of mags: $0.00 , price of market clippings: $8.00 {I know, flea markets aren’t as cheap as they used to be}

I really hope you get into this project! it’s so cool to browse through tons of images and get your brain active and thinking of what texture goes with what face. Your inner child will smile from ear to ear. I know my creations won’t make the Jealous Curator jealous or they wont make the ever amazing Design For Mankind go gaga - but they were a great way to reconnect with myself and try to look for my hidden talents {yep, still haven’t found them}and I am so proud of my paper babies!!

So, without further ado. I give you the results of my Art Challenge #2 – Collages! {applause please!!!}

hahaha I know, this last one is like wtf?  I just made it for laughs. Ok I am starved and tired.

Have a great weekend everyone!