Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Cross Stitch Wall Art (Pinterest Challenge)

Remember back in June when I posted these photos, found on Pinterest?


I wasn't kidding when I said I was totally enamored. And as good fortune would have it, some big name bloggers (Katie, Sherry, Emily and Lana) are doing a Pinterest Challenge and I happened to have a day off work this past Friday. So I found a cross-stitch pattern online that I liked and got to work. I began by chalking a grid on my wall. This would have been simple if I had a chalk line, or even an overhead projector, but I didn't have time to wait (or rather, was too excited to get started) and so used a level and painter's tape to get my lines on the wall. They're incredibly hard to see in the first photo, but the second gives you an idea of how I spaced things out. The rows were each two inches apart and the columns were four. Mostly because I got tired of drawing vertical lines.

I'm notorious for taking things to the extreme, so it was fitting that the pattern I picked had over a thousand Xes. Oops! Nothing like being ambitious, right?! So I started in the very center with yellow and orange paint then switched to the wine-colored hue, making Xes that were about an inch square. Eight to each box on the grid. The first few colors were the most time-consuming since it required a lot of counting to make sure each each color was in the right spot.


But I kept trudging along and slowly but surely you could see the flower start to take shape. When I got to the last color (the lightest pink) things went really quickly because it was just fill work, no counting required. I just added a couple leaves and it was done.


I really love it!! It's perfect for this space, which pulls double-duty as a guest room and craft room. The vanity beneath it in the photo below is just there temporarily (it's going to be painted and moved into Charlotte's room). I have grand plans to build a desktop hinged to the far wall (the one to the right of the art) that will fold down while it use, but fold up when we have guests over since the pullout sofa is located opposite the art and would crowd any desk that couldn't be hidden away. We'll see when that happens!


So all told I spent less than $10 on paint, a brush and the paint tray, not to mention two hours of my time drawing the grid and seven hours actually painting, and got some artwork that I'm super proud of! What are your thoughts? Is it too crazy for you, or are you itching to make something similar for yourself, just like I was about a month ago?


P.S. Sorry for the less than stellar photos. I don't have a wide angle lens and this space is pretty tight and lacking in natural light.

22 comments:

efran said...

Love it! AND I think yours looks way better than the inspiration! Awesome!

Elizabeth said...

I love it! I have had that picture of the cross stitch wall pinned for months, but am way to chicken to give it a try. I am so happy to see that someone has given it a try. And it looks great!
P.S. found your project through the Bower Power pinterest challenge post.

Nikki @ the ambitious procrastinator said...

I pinned the same thing a while ago and just love what you did with it. It's good to see other people doing the things that you've already pinned for extra inspiration! Great job!

Unknown said...

Thanks for the comment! And WOW, I love your pick! That's incredible. Cute blog, too. I'm a new follower :)

Anna said...

love this! it looks amazing

marie said...

This looks awesome Katie!! A ton of bang for the buck too!

Jo said...

Looks awesome!

Anonymous said...

Whoa. Fantastic job. Have your eyes uncrossed yet?

Anonymous said...

Wow I've never seen anything like this, it's SUCH a cool idea! I love how it turned out. Great job!

xo Catharine @ Your Modern Couple

GratefulPrayerThankfulHeart said...

Soooo pretty! You did a fabulous job! :)

Zan said...

Ohmygosh this is beautiful! Yours is so much more perfect looking than your pinspiration. I love it. Seven hours to paint it though! That's some dedication, but it was totally worth it. This is amazing. I wish I could see it from a further distance, but seeing it up close just makes it look so authentically cross-stitch. So cool!

(Came here by way of YHL btw.)

Charlotte | Living Well on the Cheap said...

That's amazing. You are a girl after my own granny chic heart!

Scrap for Joy said...

Katie...you should be very pleased with this project and the responses to it. You did an amazing job and I'm sure it was pretty intense at times. I remember what it was like to do counted cross-stitch. I hope you win some kind of prize for this...it is magazine worthy for sure!
Bravo!!
xo
Joyce

Anonymous said...

AH-May-ZING!!!

job well done :)

kinseymahan said...

I just found your blog via younghouselove. I don't typically comment on blogs, but I have to say I absolutely love what you did here! It's so exact (which my OCD self loves) and it's really unique. I also agree that it's better than your inspiration. I like to cross stitch, but I never know what to do with the pieces after I'm done. This a really cool way to make that work a focal point in the room. Props!

Stephanie said...

Oh my. That is absolutely stunning. You did a fantastic job!

Jacqui said...

I LOVE this....You did an incredible job. Hubby and i are house hunting and this will be my very first craft room project! : )

Anonymous said...

This is amazing my mother would sit and do this for hours on end she was in a wheelchair and she use to sew but had gotten to where she could no longer do so that is when she switched to doing needlepoint of different kinds. My sister and I have all kinds of stuff that she had made for us before she passed away. I think I would like to try and do something like this kind of like a memorial to my mom. If I can do it that, nothing huge though.

Pilar said...

Preciosa idea!!!!!!
Felicitaciones desde Mexico.

Joanna said...

Love this, I'm not allowed to paint on my walls but it would be so easy to do on a large canvas!

Unknown said...

Just love it. Had seen this also years ago in a magazine. We want to do an owl for my daughter.
Can I ask you what paint you used? And the chalk lines, do you just wash them off once the paint has tried?
Thanks,
Antonie

Unknown said...

Just love it. Had seen this also years ago in a magazine. We want to do an owl for my daughter.
Can I ask you what paint you used? And the chalk lines, do you just wash them off once the paint has tried?
Thanks,
Antonie

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