I saw great designs cut into canvas scrolling through Pinterest. I was inspired to make a small piece of canvas art for my kitchen, based on a pin I saw, and luckily I had a small canvas on hand. Notably, this was my first attempt at cutting canvas and I have many more projects in mind to try with this technique… stay tuned!
At some point in most peoples’ lives they feel stuck, stationary or stagnant. It is my hope that for everyone this will be a passing emotion, not a lasting emotion. I believe there are many ways to prevent becoming stagnant in life and ways to change your life that may help to alleviate those feelings of stagnation.
If you have one or two pieces of furniture that don’t match the rest of your decor, don’t be afraid to take matters into your own hands and paint or stain to match! I have limited resources in terms of space, time and financial means, so here’s how I achieved a high quality look on less than $30
This coloring page was completed using only 5 colors (red, orange, green, blue, and yellow). I chose to use fine point sharpies for two reasons, they come in vibrant colors and they blend without looking streaky. You can find fine point sharpies at any craft store or online (click here)
Being on a budget meant that I had to get creative with a wedding gift for a dear friend. I was able to complete this look for under $15! Here’s what you’ll need:
I cleaned the coffee mugs to prepare them for paint, then I applied the stickers for each of the mugs. I chose to give these mugs as wedding gift, so I used alphabet stickers to form “Mr.” and
“Mrs.”
Once the stickers were applied, I used the oil-based paint markers to make dots around the letters, dense near the letter and becoming less dense as the pattern moves out from the sticker. 
Let the mugs dry for several hours or overnight, then it is time to bake them! Don’t turn the oven on to preheat just yet, instead place the mugs in prior to preheating to avoid heat cracking or damage. Bake the mugs at 450° degrees for 30 minutes and let them cool inside the oven before removing them. Check out my other DIY or handmade craft ideas under $15.
To Recap:
What you’ll need to re-create this look:
I went to Michael’s Craft Store to purchase most of the materials for this wreath. I chose items that tie onto the twigs of the grapevine wreath so that I could enjoy the versatility of adding or removing items based on the season or holiday. However, I used a hot glue gun to secure the wood letter to the front of the burlap bow. This wreath really enhanced the look of my front door and didn’t break the bank!
After finishing a coloring page, I don’t always want to leave it sitting in the coloring book. When I have a coloring page that inspires me, I challenge myself to incorporate that page in a larger design for wall art. I started with this cat design that was done with colored pencils.
For this design I chose to incorporate the intricate cat coloring page in with a medium sized canvas that I purchased from Michaels Craft Store. I used acrylic paint to coat the background in a pastel pink color and mixed a light purple color for the “walkway” that the cat cut out stood on. Now I have a wall art piece that I can be proud to hang in my guest room. Get creative with your coloring pages and share your tips with me!
Living in a college town, I have a lot of access to very cheap used furniture. It is common that I trade items for used furniture or simply pick it up for free. Recently a friend moved to Illinois and gave her dresser to me for free. Here is a picture of the dresser when I got it:
Admittedly, when someone begins to tell me all about their new years resolutions, I fight back a gigantic eye roll. In my personal experiences, people don’t follow through with the superficial goals they set forth on January 1st. However, this is not to say that people don’t follow through with any new years resolutions… In fact, I have found that people who set meaningful resolutions meet their goals without a conscious effort. Now, you may be wondering, “How can that be true?” Well, it’s true because people who make a resolution to live happier, love more, or be present in every moment actually create a better year for themselves.
Rogue Creativity 