Spring Bird Art: diy custom home decor
While much of the country is covered in snow and ice, the Graphics Fairy has me dreaming of Spring by sharing beautiful, free graphics images like this sweet little bird!
Click HERE to get the image above watermark free.
Just one look is all it took to fire up my creative engine. It’s been sputtering along since returning from vacation but I knew it would roar to life when it was ready. (Meanwhile, my house is clean and all the laundry is done. So there is always that.) Anyhow, I’ve learned not to try and force it. I have to do what I’m in the mood for and I’m so glad the mood struck when this little birdie whispered in my ear that it wanted to be glittery. I aim to please. (and I’ve got glittah!!) So I got busy.
Remember, art is subjective.
While this makes me just smile and crinkle my nose up at it’s cuteness. It might make you shake your head no-no-no or crinkle your nose up in distaste. That’s cool. It’s totally customizable!! So you can use any image and create your own masterpiece!! I’ll finish showing you mine and then tell you how you make your very own too.
The glitter is actually pretty subtle and it only reveals itself from certain angles. It might look cheap and tacky… but well… I guess I am a little cheap and tacky too. So it works.
And at under $5, it’s not like I made a huge investment.
Now. Let’s get to how you can make some too!
After you gather your supplies, do this:
1. Print a photo you wish to enhance onto card stock weight paper. (Matte photo paper may work as well, or even better, but I have yet to try it.)
2. Paint your canvas with a base coat color or colors you think will best blend or accent the picture you printed out. Let dry thoroughly. Mine sat overnight.
What I did: I painted my entire canvas with a white base coat, then very lightly pulled some pale gold metallic paint over it. It’s really subtle and you can barley see I’ve done anything to the canvas, but it’s not raw. Sort of like the perfect foundation. You can’t see it. And that’s the point.
3. Cut or manipulate your printed photo to size. Torn edges might add a pleasing effect.
4. With foam brush, apply a thin coat of Mod Podge or Decoupage type medium to the area you wish the photo to cover. (If you have a larger craft or paint brush that will work too)
5. Place photo onto Mod Podge covered area. Press down and smooth.
5. Lightly cover the entire photo with a thin coat of Mod Podge so that it is adhered it to the canvas. Work with light quick strokes so you don’t pull the ink from the paper. Let dry. Check to see if you need to any re apply to any corners or edges for a smooth look. Let dry.
6. This is the fun part! Pick the areas you’d like to “highlight” with glitter, and working with one glitter color at a time, paint those areas using a small craft brush with your Mod Podge and lightly glitter to accent. You can use one color or many. I used Martha Stewart glitter and super cheap Dollar Tree glitter on this. Both worked fine for this type of project. You use very little.
Tip: I had a large piece of craft paper and just flipped the canvas over, knocked off any excess glitter and moved on to the next color.
Love it, I will have to try it!
Debbie
I love this! It’s so happy!! Love the colors and the glitter! Perfect~~Angela
I love this artwork! I’m looking for a few different type of bird illustrations for my main floor bath like this! 🙂
Oh thank you! I know it’s not fancy, but I like it too 🙂 Brandy, you can do this with any image so have fun finding the perfect one!!
Oh girly!!! We are iced/snowed in and I’ve got lots and lots of gllitaahhh!!! I’m often known to wear said glitter on my face and clothes…that’s ok… I just tell my hubby and kids that I’m so crafty I sweat glitter..haha!!! I adore your bird.. Glitter takes skill.. And you’ve got it!!! Have fun and thanks for the inspiration!!
How can you not love glitter??? I don’t have it everywhere, but man do I ADORE it!! Thanks for the sweet and fun comment (: -Shannon
Oh I adore this craft and art work Shannon! Love it.
Shannon, I absolutely love this and can’t wait to get started. It’s been forever since I’ve done a paint project and I miss messing around with Mod Podge, too. I love it when your creativity gets a-cracklin’! 🙂
Show me want you make Nancy!!
Oh I am so excited to see a post focused on Spring- the first signs that it is on it’s way… love how your art turned out Shannon!
Thanks so much Krista!! I love stuff that is simple and inexpensive to make, so I really like to share those projects.