How to Make Your Own Wall Hanging

When I moved into my new apartment this past summer, the first thing my roommates and I decided was that we definitely needed some decor to cover our hospital-white walls. Having a few things to hang around is an easy way to make a space much more homey. Being the college girls we are, we took straight to Pinterest.

I found an idea I liked that uses 4 canvases and vinyl stickers to create a big wall piece to go over the couch. Struck with an urge of creativity, I set out to make my own, adding a new flair to match our music major-filled household. 

The original idea features white vinyl stickers that stretch across the canvas to create tree branches and a bird. I went a different way, and I encourage you to take your own interests to heart as well. I opted against the stickers since I have horrible cutting skills and knew I would never be happy with the results. Instead, I painted my own design.

 Here’s what you’ll need:

–  4 canvases (2 of the same size. I came out with 3 different sizes, but didn’t realize until I got home from the store. So, do what you like.)

–  Lots of paint

–  A creative impulse

That’s it!

IMG_0639The first step is to choose a background color. I went with a dark blue to keep things subtle while still having an element of color. For this, you’re going to want to take your time mixing paints as you see fit in order to truly get the color you want. Understand that you have a lot of canvas to cover, so you’ll want to mix a lot from the get-go. You don’t want to have to stop every so often to try to mix more to the exact same shade.

For the second step, I decided that each canvas would bear the lyrics of a few of my favorite songs. While I had many to choose from, I decided to go with some pretty standard classics (still barely narrowing it down!). The first I chose was “Imagine” by John Lennon; the second, “One” by Johnny Cash; the third, “Hey Jude” by Paul McCartney; and, finally, “America” by Simon and Garfunkel. I went with a simple black for the lyrics. This kept it easy and subtle while still giving it texture.Lyrics

Finally, for the main design, I chose to draw a musical staff with a melody going across. Being a musician, one of my pet peeves is when musical designs for decorations do not follow the rules of writing music; so, it was decided that I would write actual music across my canvases. I went with the main theme from The Lord of the Rings soundtrack, composed by Howard Shore. For the color, I mixed a little yellow and a touch of brown with white to give it an off-white look, so I wouldn’t be left with such a stark difference against the dark backdrop.

MelodyAnd that’s how I made my own wall art. If you’re anything like me and get way too excited about any new project, you can knock this out in 5-6 hours (including research time for lyrics and sheet music). Although, for the sake of your back and sanity, I would suggest taking a break every now and again.

I must say that I have been quite pleased by the results, and I find myself just kind of staring at it with pride. I even had a pizza delivery guy ask where he could get one, so I would say that is definite success.

Final Product

Good luck in your decor endeavors! Happy creating!

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