Such Treasures

This article was originally published in the January 2006 issue of 2TCHKeepers, the T2CHK E-Zine.

Spice Up Your Home — Calendar Wall Collage, Abstract Family Art and Patchwork Homespun Throw Pillows
by Wardeh Harmon

We recently moved to a larger house where we have more space, but not many items to display, so I’ve worked on a few projects to spice up our decor. For the Calendar Wall Collage, I featured striking photos of stained glass windows to add interest to a blank living room wall. The Family Abstract Art helped us make great memories while filling up a whole wall above our lonely couch. Finally, the Homespun Patchwork Throw Pillows dressed up that same couch using leftover scraps of Homespun fabric. Whether you have space to fill or you want to add a spark to your furnishings, I think you’ll find something you can’t wait to try!

CALENDAR WALL COLLAGE

The university I attended sent out a calendar last year featuring the glorious stained glass windows from the campus chapel. I framed my favorite six windows’ photos in 5″ by 7″ clip frames, and then hung the group of them together, making a collage on the wall. You can use virtually any paper artwork that you find memorable — a calendar’s pages, your child’s paper artwork, or pictures from a magazine. If you don’t fancy the clip frames, choose another frame that you like. Opt for a wall arrangement that suits your style, either symmetrical or staggered.

Calendar Wall Collage

Needed Materials

• Tape or glue (acid-free)
• Artwork from a calendar, magazines, or children’s drawings
• Clip frames, one for each piece of artwork in an appropriate size
• Cardstock, several sheets in a coordinating dark color

Instructions

1. Trim artwork to desired size. Cut cardstock to frame size.

2. Glue or tape artwork to cardstock, orienting it as you prefer.

3. Insert into clip frame following manufacturer’s instructions.

4. Hang on wall in desired arrangement.

FAMILY ABSTRACT ART

I purchased three canvases and informed my children that all I wanted for Christmas was for each one of them to paint me a masterpiece. The idea came from Family Fun Magazine (February 2004). My children practiced for a few weekends on large sheets of paper before they moved on to painting the canvases. When they painted, I directed them with four simple rules:

1) fill the entire top of the canvas with color
2) be consistent with shapes
3) paint large, not small, patches of color
4) paint contrasting colors next to each other

Your rules may be more loose or more stringent than mine, depending on your tastes.

Family Abstract Art

Needed Materials

• Stretched canvas for each family member, 18″ by 24″, or your preferred size
• 4 or 5 acrylic paint colors to match your decor, some light and some dark
• Paint brushes
• Plastic cups to use as water basins, one for each painter
• Foam plates to use as palettes, one for each painter
• Paper towels

Instructions

1. Squeeze paint onto foam plates. Give each painter a paintbrush, a palette, a water basin, and a paper towel folded in fourths and laid flat.

2. Dip paint brush in water, blot out extra water on paper towel, dip brush in paint, then spread paint on the canvas. Rinse brush in water and blot on the paper towel before changing paint colors.

3. After they are complete, hang the canvases on the wall in your desired arrangement.

4. Optional: Paint the sides of each canvas with a dark color, like black, to cover up any paint that may have escaped the top.

PATCHWORK HOMESPUN THROW PILLOWS

I love how a variety of Homespun fabrics sewn together look like scraps cut from old shirts. Using extra Homespun material I have from making quilt wall hangings, I created these to fill the need for throw pillows on my couch in the family room. The two pillows vary from each other in that they have a different print on each back and a unique arrangement of squares. Each pillow calls for 25 squares of Homespun fabric, but each square doesn’t have to be different from the others — aim for as much variety as possible by doubling up on the prints you like best until you have enough for each pillow.

Patchwork Homespun Throw Pillows

Needed Materials

Makes (2) 15″ pillows

• (50) 3 1/2″ squares of assorted Homespun fabrics (pillow tops)
• (2) 17″ squares of coordinating Homespun fabric (pillow backs)
• (2) 20 ounce packages of washable, non-bunching polyester craft stuffing
• black thread

Instructions

1. Each pillow top consists of (25) 3 1/2″ squares, arranged in a five by five grid. Arrange the 25 squares for each pillow top to your satisfaction. Sew the squares* for each row together, then sew the rows together, using a 1/4″ seam allowance. Press seams in your desired fashion. When each pillow top is complete, trim the edges to square it up.

2. Lay each pillow top on the coordinating pillow back, right sides together. Trim the pillow back to match the dimensions of the pillow top. Sew each top to its back with a 1/4″ seam allowance, leaving a 7″ opening on one side. Turn each pillow right side out.

3. Stuff pillows to desired fullness. Hand stitch the opening on each pillow closed.

*Homespun fabrics don’t have a right or wrong side. If you use other material, you need to sew right sides together.

© Copyright 2006 by Wardeh Harmon.