(Click to Enlarge)
I love this quick DIY project we just tackled last weekend! I had to share it with you right away. Do you have some empty space above your cabinetry in your kitchen like we did? Are you wondering how to fill it up to elongate the room? Some people fill it with vases, a globe collection or baskets. We opted for our favorite images enlarged in black and white.
All the framed photos are mostly scenic views. None of the images are close-ups of people so they flow nicely. Your eye isn't drawn to any one image as they actually all combine to create a border around our kitchen. A border of memories and wonderful moments we've shared together through the years, awww!
Let me walk you through a quick tutorial below (click any of the images to enlarge) to show you process we followed in creating this inexpensive, chic and statement making kitchen decor. There are some great little pointers that I have to share, including where we purchased the frames from. I know you'll be surprised...I sure was.
We've been searching high and low for the perfect frames for our nine black and white images for the kitchen. We already had all the images enlarged at Walgreen's for $35.88 and now the frame search was on like donkey kong. I tell you what, we nearly caved and bought 10 frames (always good to have one extra) from Pier 1 Imports for $12/piece. Go ahead...add that up. Instead I found a sweet surprise as I ventured into Walmart the other day to check out their Hometrends collection. Much to my excitement, I stumbled upon these puppies above. Each of these eco-conscious frames only set us back only $5 a piece. Add that up and you'll see I spent only $50 on 10 frames. What a steal!
Then CC Hubby laughed at me, because just like I always do (a bit of the perfectionist coming out in me) I proceeded to spend hours using our natural glass cleaner on each pane of glass and on all the frames, too. You better believe they were sparkly and gorgeous when I got through with them, below. I used a small piece of packing tape to secure the enlarged black and white image to the mat and squealed in delight after the first one was framed. You can see my hairy, blurry helper in the image below (upper left). She literally ran circles around me on the floor and every time I pulled a new piece of packing tape from the dispenser, she thought the noise was awesome and wanted to ATTACK, ha!
Up next, CC Hubby used his best math skills to figure out the center point in each wall and then decided where the nails needed to go for the images to be hung correctly. Honestly, he's a master at this art and I have no idea how he gets it right 99% of the time. He stands there, with a pencil in his mouth, counting out loud in a muddled tone and bam, he's done. It's half Rainman, half Ty Pennington...and I love it! So while he was doing all the measuring, the hairy nerdy and I arranged the pictures in the correct groupings (below) to hand them off to him.
Below, CC Hubby starting to hang the images...a very exciting moment! It's amazing how something so mundane can really dress up that in-between and empty space on your wall.
Ahhhh...slowly but surely...we're getting there! You can see CC Hub's level on the kitchen counter (below) just to make sure each image is perfectly level. That's always a good idea for a great finishing touch. If one is even the slightest bit off kilter, it would've really bothered me. Are you like that too?
Ummm, I'm beyond excited! We went back and forth with the amount of images. CC Hubby would have preferred one less image on each wall but I wanted them to appear more like a border...so I won this one. He'll get the next one, I promise!
Hanging all of the images took over an hour so it was a tedious process and we were beyond tired when it was done. I think when this picture was taken below it was almost midnight. We were tired kids, but excited for our gorgeous new images that lend quite the personal touch to one of the most lived-in spaces in our home.
I took the next two images below this morning just to share the finished product, in its entirety! Also, check out the new purse hanger under the counter...cha-ching! We're still searching for a 'hanging system' for our back door entry, so this totally suffices in the meantime. The kitchen is a bit messy so please just ignore that fact. Come on now, all eyes up at those images, ha!
So what do you think? I love the personal aspect of all the images and it really gets me every time I glance up there! We have everything from our the location of our wedding reception in Florida to our recent trip to Blisswood to a multiple images from our time living in Northern California to an image driving to our new home in Texas. Obviously, some pivotal moments and memories are captured, revealed and shared right here in our kitchen. Also, feel free to check out our slideshow way below to see all nine images up close and personal! I'm sure you're wondering how much this DIY project set us back. Per our usual, I'll lay it out for you right here, below.
Cost breakdown for this DIY project:
Black frames from Walmart - $5/piece - $50
B&W enlargements from Walgreens - $35.88
level - already owned
glass cleaner - already owned
nails - already owned
hammer - already owned
one really cute hairy helper - already owned
TOTAL COST of B&W Kitchen Enlargement Project = $85.88
Also, take a second and breeze through more of our DIY projects that we've tackled recently. We can promise you one thing, they are all relatively easy: stylishly display your children's artwork, re-purpose/re-paint a glass and wood table lamp, make your own butcher block island, easily frame fabric for chic wall art, frame your love letters, create an art wall background, paint your terra cotta pots or planters and lastly...redesign your master bath with white paint and nickel hardware.
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