I am nothing, if not stubborn. I got a bee in my bonnet about having a tree on Firework’s wall. Which was going to be simple, as I could just order a nice wall decal (i.e. sticker). After much searching and deciding and comparing and pintresting and getting over the $100+ price, hubby and I decided to go for it. Alas, the new home has textured walls and decals won’t stay up. So I decided to stencil one on. Hubby was skeptical and very unenthusiastic, until he saw my canvases. So, we decided to go for it… except we could not find the tree I wanted. So, I decided I would just draw a tree o the wall! Yeah! How hard could it be? I mean, we’ve all been drawing trees since we were – like – 2, right? Green lollipop with a brown stick.
Little bit of my, ahem, artistic ‘talent’. I went to a super competitive school where we were drummed to be successes and basically forced to be so: the school would do whatever it took to get you to pass their end of year exams. Except, it would seem, actually pass me in Art. Seriously, I tried, but I remain the only girl to fail an internal LEH art exam. Sigh. And, really, quite fairly so. Years later, as a special ed teacher, my ‘art’ was the mirth of my friends, and the despair of my assistants. Lucy politely and in a roundabout way, basically asked if she could redo all my displays, as they were so dire. I said yes *hangs head*
But. Hormones. Age. Memory loss. Stubbornness. Whatever. I decided to make one for FW. Here is how it went:
1. Draw pic on giant paper:
2. Spend three days redrawing and refining pic:
4. Cut out pic:
5: Tape on wall:
6: Draw around outline in chalk
7: Paint around outline
8: Fill in (painstakingly and boringly. Twice):
9: Paint accents:
10: Outline in black, adding detail:
11: Finally: add name in wooden letters ($1.99 each from Hobby Lobby), you have painted white.
Voila! I am actually pretty pleased. No Picasso, or Monet, but I like it. It’ll probably be the bane of the kid’s life.Now we have to decide on cot (US: crib) colour. I say: white, he says: black. We’ll see.
If *I* can do it, trust me, anyone can. Here’s hoping some of you are inspired to give it a go…
I love it Lekki! Who needs $100+ decals when you have talent! This was made with love.
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Thanks – I think it cost me $5 – we had everything at home, except a pack of paintbrushes 🙂
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So artsy and inspiring!!!!! You’ve really touch me and I’m thinking about doing something creative, may be on the smaller scale!!!! You totally rock!!!!!!
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Lekki…you are sooo clever!! I remember you stencilling your room at uni I think!! Looks brilliant..I love the leaves! I’d defo go for a white cot to compliment the grey and the white tree!!! How EXCITING!!!!!!!!!!!! xxx
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Yes! I did – a I stenciled a pear tree in browns and greens and golds. Glad you like it – was a bit worried everyone would think I was crazy, especially going free-hand 🙂 xxx
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Thanks Olena. Go for it! Wes wasn’t 100% sure, but he was the one who said to do it, because we could always just paint over it. Hope you are settling in well x 🙂
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