DIY Wall Display for Children's Artwork

I love to display our daughter's artwork, to me it teaches her that her creativity and expression is a gift and should be valued. But, I'll admit, I have struggled with the best way to display her artwork and crafts. 

There are lots of very cool ideas around the web but what initially worked great for me was a gallery wall of Ikea Nyttja frames in a variety of sizes and colors. I would just tape the artwork to the front of the frame, right on top of the glazing (acrylic), because I know myself... I would never ever have the patience to constantly be opening up the frame to change out the artwork! This was a great solution because it also allowed me to tape up thicker pieces of artwork, like paper plate crafts, things painted with 3-dimensional paint, paper crafts with flaps, etc.

I still love the gallery wall but I grew tired of all the taping and really wanted something that was easier to quickly change things out or move things around. I still wanted something that could accommodate artworks of various sizes and thicknesses as well as hanging craft necklaces and little paper ornaments.

What I came up with was a vertical hanging display made out of tree branches and jute cord! The artwork is attached to the jute cords using colorful mini-clothespins. I made sure to select a branch with a bifurcation so I could easily hang crafts with cords. I love the rustic feel of it! It is 75 inches (190.5 cm) tall and 26 inches (66 cm) wide. The spacing between the jute cords is 2.75 inches (7 cm) and there are 9 cords total. 

This is probably one of the cheapest DIYs I've done because I found the tree branches and only had to purchase the jute cord because I had the other materials on hand. Here's what you'll need:

• Tree branches
• Jute cord
• Sandpaper
• Acrylic paint (optional)
• Polycrylic protective finish (optional)

Process:
I just wanted to mention safety before getting into the process. I used a saw, a utility knife, a power sander, and a drill to get the tree branches the way I wanted them. Please, always use personal protective equipment when necessary. Safety glasses or goggles, face masks, half-face respirator masks, gloves... be safe when using power tools, it's very easy for something to go flying and hit you in the eye. Here I am ready to use my power sander (I love this picture!! I put on my gloves after I took the picture.):

1 - Find some fallen tree branches in a public area.

2 - Define how wide you would like the wall display to be. In my case, I opted for 26 inches and marked it on my tree branches.

3 - Saw the tree branches down to size.

4 - Remove the bark (optional).

5 - Sand the tree branches.

6 - Mark the drill points where the jute cord will run through the branch. I had 9 cords in total, spaced 2.75 inches apart. (Another option is to just tie the jute cord around the branches instead of drilling holes, but I believe this is a sturdier solution... there is no chance of the cords slipping around this way.)

7 - Drill, drill, drill!

8 - The branches are now ready to paint! Painting is optional, I almost left them bare, but ultimately thought the display would look better in white.

9 - I used white acrylic paint and watered it down a bit. I wanted to retain some of the characteristics of the wood, so I figured a white wash would be most appropriate.

10 - Paint!

11 - Allow them to dry.

12 - Apply a sealer. I used Miniwax Water-Based Protective Finish.

13 - Now it's time for the jute cord.

14 - I made a Bowline knot to create a loop for hanging the display to the wall. In total, I had two loops, one at each end of the display (at the ends of cords 1 and 9).

15 - Pass the jute cord through the drill hole in the branch and secure it with a Figure 8 knot.

16 - The top of cord 1. Tip: The end of the jute cord can fray and make it difficult to run it through the drill holes. Cover the end with some white glue and allow it to dry. It will be stiff enough to run through the holes without a needle and will not fray.

17 - Space the branches evenly and run the cord through the drill holes. Secure the cord with a Figure 8 knot after exiting each drill hole.

18 - Repeat for cord 9. Cords 2 - 8 do not require a Bowline knot, only Figure 8 knots.

And here it is ready to be hung up on the wall! It took roughly half a day to complete. The longest part was definitely getting all of the cords attached to it... The branch prep and painting only took about 2 hours to do.

While I was running the cords through the branches, I decided to dye some mini-clothespins! I used liquid watercolors made from dried out markers (I think these watercolors are absolutely brilliant and just about the easiest project ever. And as an added bonus you have a use for the piles and piles of old markers kids go through!).

I just dunked the clothespins in the liquid watercolors and let them dry. I repeated the process two more times.

The colors turned out beautifully!

I love how versatile this wall display is and I know it's going to get a lot of use! I still plan on using the frames, but probably for special pieces (like the Pressed Flower Children's Art) and this time around I will probably put them inside the frames!

Pressed Flower Children's Art

We are on the brink of fall around here, but I couldn't help sharing this cute little pressed flower art project! Last month we visited a local farm and, besides all the yummy food we got, we also picked some pretty wildflowers. Our daughter loved loved loved the whole experience and dubbed it "Farm Picking" (kids come up with the best names for things!).

The flowers lasted a surprisingly long time, but when they were about to start wilting, my daughter and I clipped some of them and placed them in her flower press. It had been a birthday present and it was the first time we used it. She was really excited to see the flowers and asked almost every day if it was time to open the press. I'm so proud at how patiently she waited for the flowers to dry (we left them in for about 2 weeks... an eternity for a little kid).

Although she still prefers abstract and process art, she has started drawing adorable portraits, so I asked her to draw herself holding a bouquet of flowers (but only draw the stems). I also had her trace "Farm Picking" at the bottom of the paper.

Next we applied Mod Podge to the upper half of the paper and she carefully glued down her pressed flowers.

I carefully put a coat of Mod Podge over the flowers to seal them.

I absolutely love how this turned out and it is already a favorite of mine! It's simple but so sweet.  It can be used for many different occasions, for example, a Mother's day gift, a card to a grandparent, a keepsake from a walk or your garden, a get well card, etc.  And you can use any pressable flower you like (basically one that is not thick and juicy - to avoid mold), either store bought or picked fresh from your garden or local farm.

Tulle Tutu Tutorial

Lately our house has been filled with a lot of dancing! Our daughter recently discovered ballet and has been spinning and "arabesque-ing" all over the place (followed by a bow after every performance!). I couldn't be happier because I love ballet! I'll admit I've watched a little too much of White Nights, The Turning Point, and ballet specials and she is on the same track with Angelina Ballerina, Prima Princessa, and ballet YouTube videos and PBS specials.

There is something so magical and whimsical about ballet, I completely understand the appeal to little girls... it was only a matter of time before she asked us for a tutu. I, of course, wanted to make one, so the two of us sat down and picked out the exact colors she wanted, then we went shopping together for the supplies. I wanted her tutu to be very full and fluffy and have a lot of movement to it. This is what I came up with!

Here's what you'll need for the tulle tutu:

• Tulle - I used tulle spools in three different colors. The tulle off the spools is 6 inches in width and 25 yards long. I used four spools in total: one purple, one dark blue, and two light blue. (Wow, 100 yards of tulle! I hadn't thought about it until now! That's the length of a football field!)
• 3" Grosgrain Ribbon - I used the ribbon to make the waist. I opted for the wider ribbon because I planned to fold it in half.
• Embellishment - Optional. If you want to add a little sparkle to the waist band. Anything goes here: sparkly ribbon, pretty buttons, beads, bows, etc.
• Sew-on Snaps -  I wanted to make the tutu adjustable so I used snaps to close it. I don't recommend velcro as a closure for the tutu... it will stick like crazy to the tulle and ultimately destroy it.
• Thread - Match the color of the grosgrain ribbon. 

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Before starting, measure your child's waist (my daughter's waist is 19.5 inches) and determine how long you will want the tutu to be (I made hers 20 inches long).

1 - Cut out a piece of foam board or cardboard approximately 10 inches wide and the length of the tutu (in my case, 20 inches). This board is going to be used to cut all the tulle to size. It is the quickest and most painless way I could think of to get 100 yards of tulle cut into 20 inch strips.

2 - Wrap the tulle around the foam board. Run the spool around and around until all the tulle is off the spool and on the board.

3 - Cut the tulle at both ends of the foam board. Be careful to hold the tulle in place while cutting the first end. You don't want the tulle to fall off the board.

4 - Cut the rest of the tulle in the same manner.

5 - Next lay out the grosgrain ribbon and cut it to the desired length plus 3 inches (the extra 3 inches are for hemming the ends). Since the tutu I made has an adjustable waist, I added about 4 inches to the 19.5 inches I had measured around my daughter's waist:

            Waist Measurement  +  Adjustable Length  +  Hem Allowance  =  26.5 inches

                  (19.5 inches)                  (4 inches)                   (3  inches)       

6 - Fold the grosgrain ribbon in half and iron it.

7 - If you are adding a ribbon as an embellishment, pin it along the length of the grosgrain ribbon.

8 - Unfold the grosgrain ribbon and sew the embellishment onto it.

9 - To make the hem of the grosgrain ribbon, first unfold it, then fold the ends over twice and sew.

10 - Lay the grosgrain ribbon down on a large surface and open it in the shape of an L. Start placing the strips of tulle along the length of the ribbon. The ends of the tulle strips should sit along the crease of the ribbon. I placed two strips at a time and overlapped the strips so that the skirt would be very full and fluffy.

11 - When you reach the end of the ribbon, go back to the beginning and add another layer of tulle on top of the tulle you just placed. Repeat until all the tulle is gone.

12 - Carefully fold the grosgrain ribbon over the layers of tulle and pin in place. All of the tulle should be secured to the ribbon.

13 - Sew the tulle to the ribbon. I sewed it twice, once along the middle and once at the base of the ribbon where the tulle meets the ribbon. 

14 and 15 - Hand sew your snaps on.

Fluff the tulle and you are done! 

Here is the finished tutu! I loved it, it is so full and moves beautifully when my daughter dances around! The whole process took about 3 hours and I would consider this a beginner-level sewing project, since you only have to sew straight lines. 

Let your little ballerina dance and dream!