The Birds

Last week I got all Pinterest-y and made some cute wall art for Andrea's baby's nursery. The nursery theme is "birds," and I had just picked up an old book about birds at a flea market. The book had beautiful illustrations, and I wanted to display them somehow.

 

I started with a pile of old frames with interesting shapes (25¢, 50¢, and 75¢; picked up from thrift shops).

 

Then I spray-painted them in the back yard, while Josh did sexy-man yard work.  

   

{Also while this was going on, I was making jalapeno pinto beans and learning that the French word for "food processor" is robot culinaire - hee hee.}

Primed and painted frame, drying in the sunroom.

 After this, I distressed the heck out of the frames using sand paper. 

Then I made fabric-covered panels to go in the frames. 

 

I used a double layer of fabric (a layer of light-colored burlap over a layer of cotton fabric chosen to match).

I secured the fabric using lots of tape (masking and box). I really stretched and tugged, because I did not want wrinkles in my burlap.

 

  

Tada! After that, I hot glued these old school-looking magnetic clips to the panels (idea from a Pinterest pin, repinned by Rachel B) and clipped the book pages in place. 

Yes I destroyed a book.

I feel guilty about it. But I also love love love these illustrations and am excited that they are now featured and can be enjoyed.

 

  

I figured that since I had already destroyed a book, I might as well make an envelope out of the index.

 

{I had just seen some simple instructions for making an envelope in Country Living magazine.} 

I stuck a little note to Andrea inside and sealed it with a bird sticker from Hobby Lobby.

 

The instructions say to use a glue stick for this, but I recommend using micro (1/8-inch) glue dots. A toothpick works great to get them where they need to go.

{ baby shower quote of the day }

Salina: 

"Only I would have a spare 'small stuffed dog' in my purse."

So true.