Our New Art Gallery

When I decided to make my husband's photography a more prominent feature in our home, I transformed our main hallway into an art gallery.

To bring a final touch to this space, I named our hallway.  After all, doesn't every gallery have a name?  I went out on a creative limb and named it....Fiorucci Gallery.  My creativity sometimes astounds me.

I found the letters at our local craft store.  It didn't matter that they weren't the same color as I knew I would be painting them black anyway.  

The letters weren't on sale, and I had to pay full retail for them (those who know me just did a collective "GASP!").  The cost came to $28.00.

I spray painted the letters, using matte black paint, which I had around the house.

Here are the tools needed to hang the letters.

Using the painter's tape, I marked where I wanted the letters to hang on the wall.

Using the level, I made sure the tape was perfectly straight.  The perfectly-straight-tape will be my guide to ensuring I will have perfectly-straight-letters. 

The letters did not come with a way to hang them on the wall.  Rather than use tape on the wall, I drilled a tiny hole in which the head of a brad nail (finishing nail) could fit.

Once the hole was drilled, I placed the head of the brad nail into the hole and pushed it in as far as it would go.

Starting at the far left, I hung the first letter.  I wanted the "F" and the "G" to be offset just a smidgen from the other letters.  The two larger letters required me to hang a nail and use a hammer.

Second, I placed the last letter to the farthest right.  By using brad nails on the back of the smaller letters, I only had to push them into the wall just as you would a tack.

I worked my way toward each end alternating between words to ensure the spacing would come out correctly.  The last letter to be hung is the letter "G".

TA DA!  The finished project!

A simple idea that gives this space a finished look.

A Monogram

Not that long ago I found myself with a little bit of free time.  Rather than do something completely productive - like going to the grocery store so my family could eat - I decided to spend some time walking around the craft store.  I hung the Bad Mom of the Year Award next to my marathon medals on  my wall.

Walking around the store, I could not remember the last time I had been there.  I felt as if I had walked into a gold mine of creative ideas.  As any woman on a budget, I checked out the markdown section and was happy to stumble upon a big letter "F".  It was big and heavy and black and I loved it.  As there were only two letters there - both the letter "F" (our last initial) - I just had to have it. (My husband is looking at me blankly right now.  Blinking.)

I had no idea what I was going to do with them, but that was beside the point.  Wasn't it?  Maybe?  (Husband's blank look again).

Imagine my shock when the checker rang it up and it was only ONE PENNY!!  I bought both.  I'm such a big spender.

Once home, I found an ugly picture frame I had purchased years ago for a dollar.  I removed the glass and backing.  I then spray painted the frame matte black.  Once the paint dried, I looked around my house to find a spot that needed a monogram.  The perfect spot was found above the walkway leading from our kitchen into the dining room.

A small project, that cost me a little more than a buck, gave me pizzazz in an often forgotten space.

What do you think?  I love it!