Decorating is a way to personally connect with the structures and pieces of your home, handcrafting any decorations can help to forge or strengthen the connection you have with your home and the way you feel within in. To my fellow renters: I know it’s difficult to fully decorate when you can’t put holes in the wall or paint, but don’t fret you can still decorate your walls with your own personal touches.
Painting
Find joy in the journey: A painting experience
Creativity, Handmade, PaintingWhen I hear that Michael’s craft store has canvases on sale, I’m always happy. Especially so, when the sale is on 10-packs! I spent a gloomy Sunday afternoon surrounded by my paints and good vibes and here are some of the results
Painting: A Blank Canvas
Creativity, Handmade, PaintingIf you’re like me, figuring out how to start an art project can be the most challenging part, especially with a blank canvas. For this project I overcame that challenge by deciding on one element of the painting at a time, I suggest you give it a try!
Cutting Canvas
Creativity, Handmade, PaintingI 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!
Refinishing for Under $30
Creativity, Furniture, Painting, Re-FinishingIf 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
Adult Color Books: How to Incorporate Your Coloring Pages in Bigger Designs
Coloring, Creativity, PaintingAfter 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!
New Life for Old Furniture
Creativity, Furniture, Re-FinishingLiving 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:
