DIY Wall Panels

A few weekends ago my roommate and I FINALLY decided to paint an accent wall in our living room after talking about it for...oh about 7 years or so.

What finally prompted our motivation after so long was inheriting a dark green sofa set from my sister back in November. Because our living room decor previously consisted of red curtains, the addition of the green couches was a bit too holly jolly for us. Luckily the combo worked perfectly with our Christmas decor, giving us some time to come up with and agree on a new color combo.

We decided to go with a neutral color palette against the green with subtle pops of orange. The first thing to go were definitely the red curtains. The panels we chose were a rustic burlap style from Target (LOVE them). Once the curtains were chosen the rest of the room just fell into place. Overall the redesign of the living room was very inexpensive. New curtains, throw pillows, a can of paint...and the room was transformed!

Custom wall Panels
A few years back I painted floral wall panels for one of the walls, pulling in all of the colors we were using in the living room. Although I still liked the painting, it no longer went with the room.

Being perpetually on a budget and a committed DIY girl, I knew I was going to make something myself. I tossed around a few ideas and actually had settled on a plan when I passed by these tin tiles at Michaels in the exact burnt orange and brown that we were using in the room. Believe it or not, the tiles were only $1.50! I may have to go back and buy the rest of them. I visualize so many uses for them, and they were so inexpensive! These specific tiles were found in the $1 bin at Michaels, which changes often so you may not be able to find them at your local store, but any lightweight tile or square accent would work. I am merely showing you an idea of something you COULD do rather inexpensively for your home.
                            
Supplies:
6 Blank canvas squares
Acrylic Paint (I used pearl white and sand)
Stencil of your choice
Tin tiles
Foam blocks
Paint brush
Hot glue gun



The process was really very simple.

First, I painted all of the canvas squares in a neutral color (a few shades lighter than the painted wall I planned to hang them on). I lined up the canvas squares the way they were going to hang on the wall so that stencil lined up correctly. I suggest labeling the back of your panels so you know the order they go in. I did not do this, and it was a pain in the ass when I went to hang them because the stencil was so light. Keeping the canvas in place, I painted the stencil in pearl white acrylic paint in a straight pattern. This was the only tedious part of the project, but the part that I feel was the most worth the time. The iridescent paint is so subtle and elegant against the wall.

I always use painters tape when I am painting with a stencil because the slightest shift will screw it all up. You may have to replace the tape every 4 or 5 applications. Be sure to wipe your stencil with a wet rag every other time so the paint doesn't start to spread onto unwanted spots when you are placing the stencil down on the canvas.

 

 I used foam blocks to raise the tiles slightly off of the canvas by gluing them down using a hot glue gun. Foam glued to the canvas, tiles glued to the foam. 

Alright now I have inspired myself to go back to Michaels to buy more tiles! 

You never know when you may need a decorative tile laying around...am I right girls! :-)