Turning Small Projects into Wall Art
The Instagram ads got me. I had been avoiding the “Diamond Painting” fad for so long, convincing myself that it was similar to cross stitching and I already did that, so why pick up a new project?
But then a friend and I discovered PaintGem, which specializes in small picture sets (as of fall 2023; they are expanding their offerings). My friend got one and raved about it and before I knew it, I had broken my rule and bought into a new project… more than one.
I became obsessed. Visually, it is similar to cross stitch. Time-wise, it’s so much quicker. And the colors are fun and sparkly. So I started making fruit patterns and then flowers and then plants.
Hot tip: an adjustable laptop stand makes a great easel.
But what to do with them all? I had spent money (and then more money) and when I moved, they were all put in boxes. I didn’t want them to stay hidden - I’m spending money this year, I need to get more use out of a project - so I started to question how to display them.
Initially I envisioned making a giant mosaic wall in my bedroom, so on a whim, I began sticking them to my wall with 3M tape.
Aside from my messy room (it was also about 11:00pm), you can see it wasn’t as grandiose as I’d expected. Despite having done what felt like hundreds of mini pictures, it didn’t take up that much space. I didn’t have many more to hang, so I slept on it.
And decided I didn’t like it.
My next plan was to build a frame to put around the one “mural,” so I would need to buy wood strips. (Yes, that means spending more money. Oops.) I took my measurements and headed to Michaels.
Again, plans changed.
I found these unfinished wood frames/plaque, and doing some quick math (aka using my phone calculate), I determined I could fill three of them with the pictures I had. I knew I didn’t want to keep the unfinished wood, but I also knew I had paint in my craft drawers (finally, not spending money).
I mixed some gold and pink paint and gave each frame two coats for sufficient coverage. Once they dried I began setting out the pictures and reorganizing until I was satisfied.
Hot tip no. 2: Not all PaintGem kit sheets are the same size. This was a fun discovery once I started hanging them up next to each other. So I had to take some extra time cutting the larger sets down to match the smaller.
Once they were cropped, gluing the pieces was quick. Still in my “amateur crafter era,” I was not seriously concerned with perfection. It was more about getting through and finishing this project. I could have easily spent triple the time to avoid any gaps, but I love the final product.
It brings some color to my mostly pale/white bedroom space. (I am in the market for a duvet cover, but it’s a low priority.) With no official frame and glass covering the pictures, you can see the full shimmer and texture of the gems.
I did do this project by the seat of my pants, so I know there may have been a more price-conscious way to display the pictures. I have some leftover; any suggestions?
