chevron art work.

When I showed you my drop leaf table chalkpaint project I mentioned that I needed some kind of artwork on the wall. After seeing this piece in this home I decided that would be the perfect solution to the bald spot I had going on behind the table and lamp.

Here's how I did it:

You'll need a canvas the size you wish your art to be {mine is 16x20 and wrapped, picked up at a craft store}

Paint in your color choice, {I mixed some light grey with white to make it even lighter}

a pen

paintbrush

some cardboard the same width of your canvas

a razor blade

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To make life easier I created a stencil template for my chevron stripes. I began by deciding how spaced out I wanted my "peaks" to be. I made it easy and went for 4 of them and marked on the cardboard edge 4 marks spaced 4" apart. Does that make sense? {measure from the perimeter of your cardboard 4", mark, then another 4",mark, and so on until I had no more room left}.


Then I decided I wanted my stripes to be 3" in width. So I measured 3" down from the top on both sides and made a reference line. Then measured 3" down from both the marks I had first made {the peaks}, and every 2 inches from those first marks. Then I used a straight edge and connected my marks to make a zigzag. I began the second zig zag line {to create the full chevron stripe}, at the same line as my "bottom peak", {hence why we measured 3" down from the peak earlier}. Am I confusing you yet? Here's what it looked like after everything was measured, marked, and connected. Just make sure you keep the same measurements throughout if you want it perfectly even.

Then use a razor blade and cut your template out. It should fit just right onto your canvas.

Now you can begin tracing the stripe onto your canvas. Because I only measured for the chevron to be equal with my canvas width ways, I had to raise my "peaks" off the edge of the canvas to begin my first stripe so that the bottom and top could be even looking, {you'll see in the next picture}. After you trace one stripe. Measure 3 inches down from a top peak and make a mark. That is where you will place your stencil to trace the next stripe.

Here is what it looked like after it was all traced out. See how my top and bottom "run off" the canvas? If I had began the top chevron evenly with the perimeter it would have left the bottom uneven and running off majorly by itself. I believe after measuring it I found that starting my peak 2 1/2" off of the canvas would leave me with the top and bottom symmetrical.


Once I decided what color I would paint it {it began green but I couldn't get the right green I had in mind so decided to go with grey instead}, this is what it looks like.








And since everything was picked up and put away I thought I take a picture and show you the area I'm looking to make a botanical collage... See how boring it is and needs something like yesterday!

I'll share more about the living room at a later date but thought I'd show you the area that's been bugging me most, it's almost there though!

~Meg

{linked to some of these parties below}