DIY: Monochromatic Photo Print

<center></center><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">I love putting up old family photos in my home. They're fun reminders for us of people we love and have been inspired by. The challenge has been figuring out interesting ways to display the photos.</div><br /><img alt=" photo IMG_3719.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda037/IMG_3719.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I've always thought this image from Elle Decor of a child's room with giant pink print of Elizabeth Taylor was so cool:</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo glamourai_garcia5.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda037/glamourai_garcia5.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>The image (<a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2008/07/top-design-revisited.html" target="_blank">and this idea too</a>) came to mind when I was printing out a photo of my great grandma in front of her home in Sweden for our playroom.<br /><a name="more"></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo grandmaj.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda037/grandmaj.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>It's easy to change a photo's color in Photoshop, and I'm sure other programs. Also, there's probably better ways to change hue, but here's what I did. In the Image menu, under Adjustments, select the Color Balance option.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo ScreenShot2014-09-25at80858AM.png" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda037/ScreenShot2014-09-25at80858AM.png" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I turned up the Red, Magenta and Yellow all the way on both the midtones and the highlights.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo ScreenShot2014-09-25at81012AM.png" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda037/ScreenShot2014-09-25at81012AM.png" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>And then I played with the Curves tool a bit to brighten the whites in the photo.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo ScreenShot2014-09-25at81254AM.png" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda037/ScreenShot2014-09-25at81254AM.png" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>When I was finished, I cropped the photo and saved it to be the right size for printing and emailed the file to my local Kinkos. It cost about $60 to have it printed to 30x35, which was the size I needed it to be for a pretty brass frame I found at a thrift store.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3807.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda037/IMG_3807.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>The existing matting in the frame had been dark brown, so I painted it orange with a couple light coats of acrylic craft paint, and then I mounted the photo print right on top of the mat with permanent double-sided tape.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3722.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda037/IMG_3722.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I think it's a really fun part of our playroom and I love how it looks with the other art we have hanging in the space!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3636.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda037/IMG_3636.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3756.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda037/IMG_3756.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3621.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda037/IMG_3621.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3617.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda037/IMG_3617.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Here are a few other posts and links on the things in these photos:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2012/11/chalkboard-kids-table.html" target="_blank">Chalkboard-painted kids table</a></div><div>Kid chairs <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007A2OEC6/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007A2OEC6&linkCode=as2&tag=littgreenote-20&linkId=CBACUX5TKBZSMRCP" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007A2OIR2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007A2OIR2&linkCode=as2&tag=littgreenote-20&linkId=L75ICBLEOTK5IJPU" target="_blank">here</a> </div><div><a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2014/08/one-ottoman-three-ways.html" target="_blank">Red storage stool</a></div><div><a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2013/12/diy-concrete-topped-office-credenza.html" target="_blank">Concrete-topped vintage credenza</a></div><div><a href="http://www.postercorner.com/Favor-scooter-girl-lipstic-Bellinger-Poster-p/00489.htm" target="_blank">Favor poster</a></div><div><a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2013/02/twos-collection.html" target="_blank">Vintage gouache paintings</a></div><div><a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2011/06/framed-butterflies.html" target="_blank">Butterflies</a></div>

DIY: Monochromatic Photo Print

I love putting up old family photos in my home. They're fun reminders for us of people we love and have been inspired by. The challenge ...

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DIY: Fabric Decoupaged Office Chair

<center></center><center></center><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3197.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda033/IMG_3197.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">For our little <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2014/09/homework-station-in-playroom.html" target="_blank">homework station project</a>, I wanted to find a really inexpensive option for the girls' desk chair. I bought the vintage wood desk at a store called Another Man's Junk here in Phoenix and I love it's simple lines, but I wanted the chair to feel a little more fun and youthful. I poked around online trying to find a cheap upholstered office chair to recover in a pretty fabric when I stumbled on <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S79877709/#/S69816641" target="_blank">these $20 chairs at IKEA</a>. I thought they would be a good candidate for a decoupage project (<a href="http://www.designsponge.com/2014/03/diy-project-decoupage-marble-fabric-chairs.html" target="_blank">this one</a> has really stuck in my brain!).</div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_2954.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda034/IMG_2954.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I pulled out some pretty, lightweight cotton fabric from my stash. I had bought several yards of this gauzy cotton Nani Iro for Kokka Fabrics at Purl Soho for a client project a few years ago. We ended up choosing another fabric, so I kept the yardage and I'm so glad I did! It worked perfectly here.</div><a name="more"></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Before we started with the decoupage, we sprayed the chair legs gold with Design Master's Gold Metal and the chair back with a coral spray paint from Krylon which is supposed to work on plastics (and seems to be doing a good job of holding up).  </div><br /><img alt=" photo IMG_2968.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda034/IMG_2968.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /><img alt=" photo IMG_3343.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda033/IMG_3343.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I started by brushing on a pretty generous coat of matte Mod Podge on just the front of the chair back. I left the edges of the seat alone for this part and just worried about the front face.</div><br /><img alt=" photo IMG_2989.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda034/IMG_2989.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /><img alt=" photo IMG_2995.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda034/IMG_2995.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I had figured out the pattern placement and cut out a section of fabric before I started glueing that was several inches bigger than the chair on all sides. I carefully placed the fabric on top of the Mod Podge layer and used my hands to smooth out all the bumps and wrinkles. It takes some work and time, but it's really not all that hard to get a taut, smooth surface with the fabric.</div><br /><img alt=" photo IMG_3037.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda034/IMG_3037.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">When the upper chair back was smooth, I repeated the same process on the chair seat. Again, I left the edges dry at this point and worried just about the big surfaces.</div><br /><img alt=" photo IMG_3050.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda034/IMG_3050.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">If you do this project using the same IKEA chair, you'll want to leave just a bit of fabric bunched around the curve of the seat (where the little hole in the back is).</div><br /><img alt=" photo IMG_3054.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda034/IMG_3054.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /><img alt=" photo IMG_3060.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda034/IMG_3060.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Once the seat and the seat back were all smooth, I trimmed the excess fabric a bit more, just to make things more manageable, and then I brushed Mod Podge onto the face of the edges and started the same process of smoothing.</div><br /><img alt=" photo IMG_3077.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda034/IMG_3077.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The corners and curves are really the only tricky part. I cut out some of the extra fabric in a triangle shape until the fabric sat perfectly smooth around the corner edge and then I glued it down with Mod Podge.</div><br /><img alt=" photo IMG_3094.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda034/IMG_3094.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /><img alt=" photo IMG_3101.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda034/IMG_3101.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">A damp cloth really helps smooth everything down and was a big help with the edges especially.</div><br /><img alt=" photo IMG_3112.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda034/IMG_3112.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I cut away more fabric for the curve and the hole in the back of the chair before gluing the fabric down. Mod Podge is so easy to work with. It is so forgiving and can be repositioned for a long time.</div><br /><img alt=" photo IMG_3138.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda034/IMG_3138.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /><img alt=" photo IMG_3147.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda034/IMG_3147.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Once the Mod Podge had dried (about an hour or two later), I ran an X-acto knife down the inside edge of the back. And then I brush on another little bit of Mod Podge along the edge to help seal the fabric and prevent fraying.</div><br /><img alt=" photo IMG_3164.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda034/IMG_3164.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /><img alt=" photo IMG_3293.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda034/IMG_3293.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Once the whole chair was done and dry, I brushed on two thick coats of satin Polycrylic sealer on top of the fabric. This changed the look and feel of the fabric a bit - it sort of looks like laminated fabric now, or like the chair is made from a textured, printed plastic maybe? But the surface is solid and waterproof and easy to clean now, so I'm cool with it.</div><br /><img alt=" photo IMG_3151.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda034/IMG_3151.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /><img alt=" photo IMG_3186.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda034/IMG_3186.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><img alt=" photo IMG_3299.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda034/IMG_3299.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /><img alt=" photo IMG_3280.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda034/IMG_3280.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Still pretty cute, right? I love how it looks from the back especially, with the pop of coral!</div><br /><img alt=" photo IMG_3288.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda034/IMG_3288.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">It feels pretty indestructible and my girls love it. Win-win. :)</div><br /><img alt=" photo IMG_3338.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda033/IMG_3338.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div>

DIY: Fabric Decoupaged Office Chair

For our little homework station project , I wanted to find a really inexpensive option for the girls' desk chair. I bought the vintage w...

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Homework Station in the Playroom

In addition to getting the mudroom up and running before the school year, we really wanted to get a homework desk set up in the playroom. The two older girls have been begging for a real-deal desk (they're sick of sitting at the kid-sized play table), and putting together a homework station felt like a great way to start the school year off right!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3218.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda033/IMG_3218.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div><br /></div><div>I have been working with <a href="http://bit.ly/1rYaaPX" target="_blank">Office Depot</a> and Expo brand to spread the news about the #TeachersChangeLives campaign, where we are trying to make it easier (and more affordable <a href="http://bit.ly/1rYaaPX" target="_blank">with these coupons</a>!) for families to donate school supplies to classrooms, or to help ease the financial burden that these teachers are taking on personally each year to stock their classrooms. Here's where you can learn more about <a href="http://bit.ly/1rYaaPX" target="_blank">#TeachersChangeLives</a>.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3338.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda033/IMG_3338.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_2945.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda033/IMG_2945.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Office Depot invited me to share this brand new homework station in celebration of the campaign. I'm so happy with how this cute desk area turned out and my girls are over-the-moon excited about having a big girl space to do their school work and to display their art and best projects! Here's what we did:<br /><a name="more"></a></div><div><br />We started out by getting a piece of homasote, which is a great soft-but-sturdy material, cut down to 40x40" for a large memo board. We get our homasote at Heldt lumber in Phoenix, but when I lived back east I could usually get it at Lowes or Home Depot. I upholstered the cut-to-size board in a soft lilac linen fabric from my stash.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_2898.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda033/IMG_2898.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Tips for how to tackle corners can be found <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2012/07/how-to-upholster-bench-corners.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_2903.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda033/IMG_2903.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I have a feeling this board will be well-used. I hung it up (using D-rings) and tacked on these papers and things only yesterday and already it looks <i>completely</i> different today. Michael likes to say there are four decorators that live in this house. :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3209.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda033/IMG_3209.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3252.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda033/IMG_3252.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div></div><div><div><center></center></div><div><br /></div><div>We also had one of the smaller 2x4' pegboard sheets cut down to 12x40", so it could sit evenly right under the memo board. We sprayed it that Rustoleum Aubergine color that I love so much.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_2883.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda033/IMG_2883.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_2889.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda033/IMG_2889.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>I think it pairs really well with the lilac linen!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3265.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda033/IMG_3265.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I stacked eight small washers behind the pegboard before screwing into the wall, so that the board would sit off the wall a bit, making it easier to move around the pegboard accessories.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_2919.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda033/IMG_2919.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Home Depot has tons of these pegboard accessories. We spray painted a couple of baskets and prongs to match the pegboard, and then loaded them up with all sorts of school and art supplies.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3267.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda033/IMG_3267.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Expo and <a href="http://bit.ly/1rYaaPX" target="_blank">Office Depot</a> sent us some new highlighters (which have see-through writing tips?!) and a few mechanical pencils that have mix and match colors (which, of course, the girls love). I put assorted little cups in the baskets to help us keep the supplies organized and off the desk top.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3330.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda033/IMG_3330.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_2939.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda033/IMG_2939.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3239.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda033/IMG_3239.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3233.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda033/IMG_3233.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Yesterday was the inaugural run of the new desk area and I'd say it was a wild success. Never have I seen my girls so excited to do their homework! The real question is, can this excitement last? I'm really, really hoping so. :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3327.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda033/IMG_3327.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3197.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda033/IMG_3197.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>A big thanks to <a href="http://bit.ly/1rYaaPX" target="_blank">Office Depot</a> and to the #TeachersChangeLives campaign for inviting me to contribute to the program! <a href="http://bit.ly/1rYaaPX" target="_blank">Click here</a> to read more about how we can help these wonderful teachers who already do so much for our children.</i></div></div><div></div></div>

Homework Station in the Playroom

In addition to getting the mudroom up and running before the school year, we really wanted to get a homework desk set up in the playroom. Th...

Read more »