DIY Water Color Monogram

I just got home from a baby shower!  The parents-to-be are my closest friends and they are having a little, baby boy.  As a part of their gift, I made this framed monogram with water color details:

These are the supplies you will need:

• 2 pieces of water color paper
• Water color pencils or water color paint
• Paint brush
• X-acto knife
• Scissors
• Picture frame
• Printer (not required, but recommended)

Here's how I made it:

For starters, I used my water color pencils to color random bold stripes onto my paper.

If you are using regular water color paints, then you can go ahead and directly paint random stripes onto your paper.  Be creative with your patterns!  You can even paint a little picture if you want.

Since I was using water color pencils, I had to use a wet brush to "paint" my stripes.

After painting my stripes, I cut the paper down to size so that it would fit into the 10x8" frame I had bought.  I also made sure to cut my other piece of paper down to size at this point too.

For the cutout of your letter, I recommend printing an outline of the letter in the font you wish to use. For my gift, I knew I wanted to use a capital letter so I spent time looking for the right font and determining the right size.  The font and size are up to you, but my only recommendations are to use fonts that are bold and large enough so that the colors can peek through.  I also recommend printing only the outline of the letter so that you don't waste ink!

I cut the letter "E" with a regular pair of scissors and taped it face-down onto the backside of the other piece of water color paper.

I then used my X-acto knife and a ruler to trace the edges of the letter.  I decided to cut from the backside of the paper because I wanted the front to have crisp, clean edges.  Also, it would be best to have the sharpest X-acto knife possible.  Having a sharp knife gives you better control and also ensures that your lines are clean.

Please don't cut on your wood floors!  This picture is only for demonstration purposes!

After a few minutes of cutting, I ended up with this:

Once you are done cutting out your letter, you can assemble the sheets in the frame to look like this:

Ta-da!

That was simple, right?  This monogram isn't only a cute baby shower gift.  You can also make a more fancy, schmancy one by applying gold leaf instead of using water colors and gifting this to an adult.  I definitely want to make a "W" for myself!  Let me know if you try this.  It would be awesome to see yours if you did!

This post is linked up to: DIY Show off

DIY Wall Decor Ideas

As you may or may not have noticed in the pictures I've posted of my home so far, a lot of my wall decor are DIY pieces that I've put together myself.  In this post, I want to share some DIY wall decor ideas with you!

Framed fabric.  Framing pieces of fabric is simple and can be a quick and inexpensive way for you to add color to your walls.  The fabric you choose doesn't necessarily have to come from store-bought scraps.  You can even use old articles of clothing with great patterns that you like.  In my home, I chose to frame one of my late grandmother's scarves as a way to remember her.   

Frame your own paintings.  Another inexpensive wall decor idea is to frame your own paintings!  I decided to dabble in a little watercolor and painted 4 simple flower pieces!  I know these pieces don't look professional, but I love that I created them myself and they each have their own little imperfections created by me!

Create a shrine gallery wall dedicated to your family and friends!  As I have shared in previous posts, I have a gallery wall in my living room dedicated to my family (including four-legged babies) and friends.  This is a great way to display old pictures and adds a very personal touch to your home! 

I hope this post gave you some wall decor ideas!  I would also love to read about any other ideas you may have or have used in your own home!