i pinned this image a while ago. i think it actually may have been one of the first things i pinned that first night i stayed up way too late glued to the computer screen, pinning like crazy. i knew when i pinned this in the spring, i wanted to re-create it as part of my christmas decor.
last week i had a coupon for 50% one full-priced item at michaels. (do you all have the michaels phone app? it's awesome - no more clipping or printing coupons. they scan your coupon on your phone. crazy, right. who would have ever imagined that 10 years ago - what will they think of next?? way to save paper michaels. yay for environmentally friendly ways to save $. everyone else should do this - yes you, LOFT and jcrew and wegmans and other places i shop. ok, excuse the rant, back to business!) i knew i wanted to use my coupon to get my stretched canvas for this project.
all you need is 1 stretched canvas (any size you like, i used 18"x24"), 1 strand of christmas lights (i used 100 count regular strand), a piece of cardboard, an x-acto knife (i never in a million years would have thought that is how you spelled that - i had to google exacto knife and it corrected me), and a stencil (optional).
i printed out an enlarged copy of the canvas picture but ended up just free-handing it after about 10 cuts. lay your canvas smooth side down onto a large piece of cardboard. tape stencil to back of canvas (if using) and make a small hole where you want each light to go. i inserted the x-acto knife into the canvas about 1/3 of the way and gave it a 1/4 turn and that seemed to be perfect. you want the hole to be slightly smaller than the light so when you force it through, it stays in the hole. i made 100 holes and then pushed one light into each hole. make sure you start at the top and finish at the bottom of the canvas so you can plug the end of the stand of lights into an extension cord at the bottom. i propped mine up in the middle of the mantle instead of hanging it so you wouldn't see the extension cord hanging out the bottom.
i just love how it turned out! of course, it looks much better in the evening and when it's plugged in but i think it adds a great burst of light above the fireplace. i kept the rest of the mantel simple and silver. the best part? it only cost me $7.49! i already owned everything but the canvas and with my 50% off coupon, it was only $7.49. woo to the hoo!
What an adorable project! I just might steal this idea if I find the time :)
ReplyDelete