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It’s almost Valentine’s Day! I love this holiday because: A. love is a lovely thing, B. exchanging cards or little gifts is always fun, and C. chocolate! What’s not to enjoy? You know what else I’m totally loving right now? Enamel pins (hello 90s fashion – it’s nice to see you again!). If you’re looking for a cute gift to give to your friends, coworkers, or gal-pals, these faux enamel pins are quick and easy to make.
Watch our video tutorial for the walkthrough, or follow the steps below. The fun part about this DIY project is that there is lots of room for creativity. You can personalize these Valentine’s pins any way you want, or you can use the printable template available below!
Materials
If you want to make these faux enamel pins in even less time, you can purchase printable shrink filmand print these designs directly onto the shrink paper!
Step 1
Print out the Valentine’s Day pins template. Lay a piece of shrink paper over the template, and with a marker, trace each shape onto the shrink paper.
Step 2
Fill in the designs with a thin layer of acrylic paint. The more paint you apply, the “rougher” the pins will look once they shrink, so keep it light. I recommend using high-quality paints, as cheaper paints require multiple layers to get richer color.
Step 3
Once the paint has dried, go over the lines of the designs again to redefine any hard edges. Add any lettering over the paint.
Step 4
Cut out each design. Take your time with this step, as the shrink paper can rip easily.
Step 5
Preheat the oven to 325º F. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Lay the designs on the pan so they are not overlapping. Bake for 1-3 minutes. The shrink paper will initially curl while baking – once the paper has curled it will shrink to 1/3 its original size, and become remarkably thicker.
Step 6
After the designs have cooled, use hot glue to apply the pin backs. If you want to give your pin designs some added protection, you can seal them with a finisher spray. Done!
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Side note: Like I said earlier, I love enamel pins. That being said, watching fashion come full circle and recognizing the decade this fad came from because I lived through it has me feeling super old! I’ll let it slide though, because 90s fashion really was the best (#DENIM4LIFE).
Clothes and fabric — much like trinkets from travels, pieces of furniture, and cards from birthdays past — can hold a ton of sentimental value. Whether it be a T-shirt from a favorite concert, a scrap of sample fabric from a project long-since completed, or an article of clothing from a loved one, people cling to certain pieces much longer than others. But what do you do when that item no longer fits? Sure, you could tuck it in the back of a drawer or store it high up in the closet. What if I told you there’s a clever, rental-friendly DIY project you can use if for instead, though? That’s right. Two words: fabric wallpaper.
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“I love using vintage fabric as wallpaper,” says Gretchen Raguse of her Portland, Oregon home, which features this crafty hack in more than one spot. Where’d she get her inspiration? None other than Apartment Therapy! “I came across this idea on Apartment Therapy a few years ago and knew I needed to try it out in my own space,” says Raguse. “I started with an accent wall in my kitchen, meant to visually divide the area for my office. Repurposing a dress my mom made in the ’70s, I cut and pasted the fabric together to form a repeating pattern.”
Raguse only had enough material to cover a small section of wall, so she added trim and beadboard to round out the wall, which created the pretty patterned panel you see above. “Fabric as wallpaper quickly became an obsession of mine and made its way through my apartment,” she adds. “After the accent wall, I added it to my hallway ceiling and bedroom (as shown below). Even my friend’s place got a fabric makeover!”
If you’re ready to try this idea out yourself, I’d recommend checking out this in-depth tutorial, but here’s the gist: You start by positioning your chosen fabric on a freshly-cleaned wall with tape, lining up any edges. Lift up the fabric and roll a nice layer of liquid starch onto the wall, then smooth the fabric out onto the wall, removing any bubbles or wrinkles as you go. Next, add another thick layer of liquid starch on top of the fabric, ensuring it’s totally saturated through to the wall. Finally, cut the excess fabric off with a utility knife. When you’re ready for a change, the fabric will come right off with a soapy sponge bath. Genius, no?
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The easiest way to make a home really feel like home, whether you rent or own, is to fill it with art that resonates with you. Maybe that art is a print of a favorite vacation destination, or a great photo of a loved one. Or maybe it’s just something that you like looking at because the colors or the subject matter speaks to you on some level. No matter the reason for your selection, the art you choose helps bring your personality to the forefront of your space.
That said, art can be expensive, especially if you’re looking for a lot of it at once (gallery wall, anyone?). Thankfully, there are plenty of clever and resourceful DIYers who prove that you don’t need to spend a ton to adorn your walls with something beautiful. Here, take a look at eight smart ideas for DIY art that range from high-quality prints of classics to totally custom three-dimensional textured pieces. All come in at under $20 a pop, so you can outfit multiple rooms without breaking the bank.
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Printable Art with a Luxe Upgrade
You may already know that the National Gallery of Art has free, downloadable images of its permanent collection that you can browse by art type, nation of origin, timeframe, style, or even subject to find the perfect piece for your home. But here’s a DIY that will make a free printable look like a priceless piece. Instead of printing the piece on paper, Erin of Francois et Moi used printable canvas; from there, she attached it to a repurposed frame. The effect looks downright luxurious, all for easily under $20 per piece.
This upcycled sculptural art is perfect if you’re craving tonal texture, and the main material is certainly something you have on hand. Here, Geneva of Collective Gen layered abstract shapes cut from leftover packaging to create her design. Then, she unified the look with a generous layer of joint compound overtop.
Jorge of Casa Refined has a knack for transforming unconventional materials into inspiring art. For this project, he carved a geometric design into a piece of craft foam from the hardware store, before painting it in a classic cream and black palette. The finishing touch: a pine frame around the edges, which pulls the whole piece together. You can use his methods to create your own pattern and customize the palette to your liking.
When it comes to decor, nothing is easier or cheaper than looking around your home to see what could be framed as art among the things you already own. Brittni of Paper & Stitch created the two pieces shown here by simply framing a tea towel and wallpaper sample she had laying around. Some other ideas to consider: pictures cut from an old calendar, an interesting illustration from a greeting card, or a collage of old tickets to museums or shows.
For a more natural vibe, preserve a sensory memory by pressing and displaying flowers, as Studio DIY did here. Choose something that’s tied to a special memory — like the types of flowers that were in the garden of your childhood home, or varieties that were in a favorite bouquet — or just visit the floral aisle of a local grocery store and see what calls to you.
For this simple but impactful piece, Jorge of Casa Refined was inspired by artist James Turrell’s “Light and Space” work. He got the same vibes in his home by using an upcycled tabletop — which he texturized with drywall compound — and an LED light. This DIY looks like it belongs in a museum, but Jorge pulled it off in less than a day.
Hand-Lettered Custom Poster
Pick a phrase, pick a paper, and pick a paint, and you’ve got a display-worthy piece in the making. You can find high-quality, poster-sized paper in almost any color for under $10 at your local art store. For her handmade art, Brittni of Paper & Stitch practiced hand lettering her phrase a few times on scrap paper before committing paint to the final sheet.
Jorge of Casa Refined put his DIY leftovers to work by displaying a splattered drop cloth. Mounting it to a pegboard — another hardware store staple — helps give it a little extra interest and texture. This art definitely makes the case for mining your local hardware store for supplies and inspo!
Olivia Harvey is a freelance writer and award-winning scriptwriter from outside Boston, Massachusetts. She’s a big fan of scented candles, getting dressed up, and the 2005 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightley. You can make sure she’s doing okay via Instagram and/or Twitter.
Megan is a writer and editor who specializes in home upgrades, DIY projects, hacks, and design. Before Apartment Therapy, she was an editor at HGTV Magazine and This Old House Magazine. Megan has a degree in Magazine Journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. She is a self-taught weighted blanket connoisseur.