What have I been doing... (Decorating edition)...

So I actually finished this project about a week ago, but with everything we have had going on I haven't been able to post it.  So I am completely obsessed with Pinterest (if you are not a member, just send me an email or a comment and I will send you an invite!!)

So here is the picture that I originally pinned on Pinterest (from the Knock Off Decor Blog).  

The original artwork is from Ballard Designs although you can't find the original picture online, but I saw this and thought, I can so do that myself.  So here's what I did...

1.) Bought a canvas from Hobby Lobby

2.) Paint around the edges of the canvas with a chocolate brown acrylic paint.

3.) Went to Home Depot (several times) and helped myself to some free paint chips.  I picked colors that I liked that I knew would coordinate together as well as coordinate with the wall color in my dining room.

4.) Cut all the paint chips into 3"x3" squares... use algebra to figure out how many squares you need (or just cut a whole lot a couple times until you have enough).

5.) Lay out your squares on your canvas as you like.  I just randomly set them down and made sure that no 2 adjoining squares were the exact same color.  I tried to space out the really deep colors randomly.

6.) Pick up your squares (trying really hard to keep them in order).  Using a spray adhesive, spray the back of 5-6 squares and adhere them to the canvas using a credit card (or your pampered chef pan scraper) to smooth the squares.  

**  Here is where I differed a bit from the Knock Off Decor art... I didn't want mine completely lined up exactly so I kind of made mine a little wonky (on purpose)! 

7.) After all of your squares are adhered, slap on a layer of Mod Podge (I used matte finish).  You want to be sure to put a thick layer on and be sure there are brush strokes throughout your layer.

8.) Complete step 7 twice more (that's right 3 layers of Mod Podge).  I did my first layer with vertical brush strokes, the second layer with horizontal, and the last layer with vertical brush strokes again.  Be sure the Mod Podge completely dries between each layer before you put on the next layer.

9.) Once the third layer of Mod Podge is completely dry, apply a layer of wood stain over all the squares, then remove with a soft cloth.  The darker the stain, the better... I used dark walnut.  

10.) Once the first layer of stain is dry, repeat step 9.

11.) Once the final layer of stain is dry and you are happy with the brown streaks throughout, apply one last layer of Mod Podge.  

12.) Hang up where you like!!

Here is my finished picture... and for some reason the photo of it hanging on my dining room wall won't upload, and it is too dark to take a picture right now.  I will post a picture tomorrow morning of how the artwork looks hanging in the dining room... I love it!!!!  I hope it inspires you!!