DIY Scrapbook Paper Wall Art

Last month my mom came for a quick visit, bringing with her two blank canvases, a throw pillow and a paint chip.  She then tasked me with creating some “art” to hang in her newly refreshed guest room.  In the way of guidance, all I had to go off of was this pillow and paint chip.  I haven’t even been in the room since it was redone.

I first decided to try some string art, which would read “Rest Easy.”  I have been wanting to try string art, I thought the planned statement was appropriate for a guest room, and I liked that it was gender neutral art.  I painted my canvases and got to work.
And then I failed.  Miserably.
First off, and as I suspected, you can’t really do string art on a canvas.  The material is too thin.  You really need to do this on wood, using nails.
I tried using push pins and stabilizing them with ticky tack on the back, but it didn’t work.  Once I got the string on, the push pins started wobbling and pulling all over the place.  Also, it was pretty much impossible to remove the printed letters from underneath the push pins without disturbing them and messing the whole thing up.

I abandoned this idea after one letter.
My canvas was now full of tiny holes forming the outline of the letter “T.”  Great!
Luckily they were easily filled with some more acrylic paint.  No big deal.
Back at square one, I then decided to go the trusty scrapbook paper and Mod Podge route.  (How many times have you seen this picture on Pinterest?!?)
Pulling from the colors and design elements within the throw pillow (note the simple leaf pattern along the border and the clover pattern in the center), I made some shape templates and cut scrapbook paper accordingly.  I then played around with layouts, painted some gold lines on my canvas, and Mod Podged the heck out of my scrapbook paper shapes.
Okay, mom, are you ready to see your new art?  Drumroll please . . .

A closeup of the “leaf” art (which, upon further reflection, reminds me of Orla Kiely’s famous pattern!)

And now, the “clover” art.

Mom, I really hope you like your completed canvases.  I also really hope that if you don’t, you won’t write me a comment about not liking them.  Instead, please pretend that you like them, “Pin It,” and then either hang them up just when I come visit or tell me that you think they look better in my house and that I should keep them.  
If you need some “art” for your home, give the scrapbook paper and Mod Podge canvas a try.  Super easy, inexpensive and fun!
p.s. follow me on Pinterest and Twitter, where you just might get some other DIY ideas from me!  I’ll follow you back.