Make your home more You with these eight easy projects using nothing more than photos and a little ingenuity. Tips from DIY enthusiast, big-time reader, and writer Sarah Moore @newleafwriter. Take it away, Sarah!
I’m all about inspiration. No matter where I am in my home, I want to be able to look up and see something that makes me smile, makes me think, makes me dream.
Sure, there are a lot of ways to achieve that effect. I’m lucky enough to have tons of windows and a decently green thumb, but I find one strategy rises above all the rest: photos.
Not only do photos keep on kicking even if you forget to water them (a major benefit), but they’re cheerful in the light of a bright sun, the gloom of a rainy afternoon or the gentle sparkle of twinkle lights. I don’t think it’s going too far to say there’s nowhere I don’t recommend a good DIY photo project!
But then, I’m a zealot. You don’t have to coat your walls with photos the way I have. Instead, try just one of the following projects, and if you get inspired after that, go ahead and do all eight!
Ready to get started? Keep reading.
1. Bedroom Backdrop
My bedroom photo installation is probably my favorite DIY in the entire house. It not only creates a great focal point for the rest of the room, but the wire strand of twinkle lights is plenty bright to read by at night! I simply measured the width of the bed, chose a width for the strands, then measured inward from both sides to center everything.
Once the lights were up, I used tiny clothespins to clip squares and mini squares to the wire. Note that I don’t mind the look of the plastic cord at the end, but if you do, you should order a strand longer than mine, which I believe is 30 feet. Also note that the wire is key; a plastic-coated strand won’t fit the clothespins.
2. Art Shelf Decor
I figure, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! My absolute favorite way to decorate any space is with mini prints, so that’s what I opted for in this space as well. My craft shelf totally benefits from a few photos clipped right to it and another strand underneath, this one made with twine and held in place by pushpins. I also added in a few daily calendar photos to dress things up.
3. Book Nook
Because I’m a #bookstagram junkie, I’m always looking for new places to stage books in the pursuit of literacy (and cuteness, obvi). The opposite corner of my desk from the art shelf is devoted to this cause, and I just love the look of a stack of books in front of more (yes more!) strands of photos clipped to string.
I also taped up a few squares, some pages of an old botanical album and some postcards(not shown). Lastly, I scattered in a few pieces of framed art. The one shown in this photo is a map I drew of my hometown – Portland, Oregon – and framed by Social Print Studio.
4. Craft Table
This is where my daughter lives, and that’s not an exaggeration. I can’t tell you how many meals she would forego in favor of art if given the option. (She’s not given it, by the way. I definitely feed my child, so you can hang up the phone.)