DIY: Spray Paint Picture Frames

I've been on the look for some vibrant colored picture frames to liven up some of the walls in the apartment. Etsy has some great finds, but I can't justify spending the money when I realize I can make something myself at the same price or less. That's when I knew it was time to get crafty.
First, I bought some cheap, plastic frames from Ikea.

The frames didn't come with a glass insert, but almost any craft store should carry them. I got mine at Michaels.

Next, I got busy using Photoshop and whipped up some pictures I wanted to frame. My inspiration came from my love for the yellow & gray color-scheme and a well known verse. I had plans to hang these in my bathroom and dream of those colors in my bathroom. See: pinterest.

 

love this bathroom:

source

Lastly, I picked out my desired spray paint colors and got to work. I removed the frame backing before spraying them. It's best to spray paint outside and in a well ventilated area because those fumes are potent, let me tell you! The most difficult part is trying to spray evenly and cover all the surfaces. Let the paint dry and add an extra coat if desired or necessary.

Insert your pictures and there you have it; success!

They might even make some really cute gifts :) Or maybe I should just open my own Etsy shop...

Sunday Crafts: Melted Crayon Art

Preview:

I absolutely LOVE Sundays.  Why so?  Well, for one, I don't have to go into lab (most of the time) to check on my cells and it's usually my day of relaxation.  Recently, my only obligations seem to be my morning long run.  I fueled up with pb toast and bananas and headed out for a 12-miler on what just happened to be a gorgeous day in San Diego.  It actually got into the 80s today, but luckily I finished by run when it was only in the low 70s.  Warm, but beautiful.  I was also feeling good because this was my last long run before the half marathon next weekend!  I scoped out a majority of the course and besides a gradual hill from mile 8-10, the rest of the course is flat and the last 2+ miles are downhill!  (today's run, 12 miles: 9:56 min/mi 1:59:14; took it pretty easy, but legs feeling refreshed)

View on my run, via Instagram

Onto the important things!  Sundays are also great because I have time to do things I normally don't: CRAFTS.  If you're currently breathing and especially if you're a girl then, more likely than not, you've heard of Pinterest.  A lot of my crafting inspiration comes from Pinterest and one of my favorite finds is melted crayon art.  My favorite ones I've seen are one using blues and grays to look like rain and another using greens and yellows to look like grass and then with flowers added for embellishments.  There are many other ideas and color schemes, but I chose to replicate those ones.

Supplies:
2 boxes 64-count Crayola crayons
2 canvases (I used 11 x 17)
Hot glue gun
Hairdryer
Newspaper or something to cover floor/wall
Black marker/paint
Floral embellishments

Directions:

• Get your supplies together

 

• Choose your colors and set them up in your chosen pattern.  Optional:  Stencil on a picture you like with permanent marker or paint.

• Use hot glue gun to glue down crayons.  My personal preference is having all the crayons symmetrical with the "crayola" side showing.

• Let crayons dry for ~20 min. to make sure they're firmly glued to the canvas.  In the meantime, grab your favorite beverage and drink up!

 

White wine for me on a nice sunny day.  You can bet I bought the wine purely for the name and label

• Set canvases up against a wall with something covering the floors and wall in case wax spashes.
• If you drew or painted something on the canvas, make sure to cover it with masking tape.
• Plug in hairdryer and put on high setting.  Crayons may begin to melt at different rates and you may want to focus the heat on certain area more than others.  Play around with the settings and movement of the hairdryer to get the crayons to melt the way you want it to.  It may not be perfect, but that's the beauty of this art.
  
  
  
• I let the crayon melt further down the canvas on the "rain" one and made the crayons melt together more.  I wanted the "grass" one to look more individual, like stems, and still have room to put flowers.
• Turn the "grass" canvas over and apply flower embellishments
  
  
  
  Overall it can be a little time consuming, but it's the perfect craft for a free day.  Can't wait to hang them up!