.JPG)
How could I NOT be obsessed with that face?
For Valentine's Day, I wanted to give my boyfriend something that would be both sentimental and meaningful. I also wanted to give him something that we could use to decorate our apartment. While our interests can vary greatly (he's mostly into computers and other technology-related things), there is one thing we share a common love for - our puppy. While I could have just given him a nicely framed photo of Olive, or something along those lines, I knew I wanted to do something a little more creative and a little more unique. After some thinking, I thought it would be an adorable idea to frame a paw print from our favorite furry creature.
This project was both easy and quick - the actual "art" only took about 5 minutes to make, but let me tell you, it was a process. Next time, I would definitely think ahead in terms of implementation. What do I mean? I mean that an almost 2 year old dog is NOT going to happy about having its paw painted and then held for ransom while you hold it down on a piece of poster board. Luckily, I thought to have some pepperoni on me to entice my dog to sit still, but unluckily, I didn't think ahead quite enough. Let's just say I found myself with various paw-shaped stains on my rug (which, also luckily, came right out).
A word of advice: DO THIS PROJECT OUTSIDE, or at least, not next to your nice rug.
Anyway, back to the beginning.
After putting up my photo ledges and creating the perfect frame, I was ready to create some homemade (and free) art. To do this, all I needed was some poster board that I already had lying around, some black acrylic paint (also lying around the house), a paintbrush, some masking tape and a marker. Along with the pepperoni (highly recommended if your dog is crazy like mine) and Olive, I was set to go.
The first thing I had to do (besides woo Olive with treats) was paint the bottom of her paw. I decided to go with black paint, because I had it on hand and because I thought it would go with the black and white scheme I had going on. Painting Olive's paw went well - she was a little alarmed that I held onto her paw for so long, but she didn't seem to mind (although, to be fair, giving "paw" is Olive's favorite pastime). Next, I had to hold Olive's paw down on the poster board. This part, she didn't like, but it only took about 5 seconds. After I was done, I simply (carefully) lifted her paw off the poster board and voila! I was done! Now, this is where things got a little messy, but as long as you're more careful and thoughtful than I am, you should be all set.
After letting the print dry (and cleaning paint stains out of my rug), I had this slightly messy paw print. At first, I was kind of disappointed that it didn't come out as neatly as I had intended, but now, I love it even more. My dog is pretty much insane and this messy/crazy print certainly reflects her personality more than something perfect would have. Underneath the paw print, I labeled "Olive, February 2013" using a thin, felt-tip marker. I used pink to add a little splash of color and to illustrate that yes, our dog is a girl, despite my boyfriend's attempts to deny that fact.
The next day, I simply cut out the paw print and taped it to the back of the frame so it would be straight. After doing this, I realized I cut the print a little too small for the frame, so I just attached another, larger piece of poster board behind that to ensure there wouldn't be any gaps.
Forgive the shadows - photography is not my thing.
In total, the project took a combined 15 minutes (plus drying time) and I love the way it looks! My boyfriend also loved it and it really complements our photo ledge.
The finished product.
No comments:
Post a Comment