Printing on Wallpaper

I've had 3 wallpaper sample books for about 10 years now.  They are huge and have hundreds of pages.  I really want to go get some new ones, but get into trouble when the garage starts looking like a hoarder's haven.  So need to use them up and soon! 

My latest idea was to make thank you cards with them.  I have discovered that if you have a laser printer, it will print on the vinyl perfectly.  I only had a black and white printer, which works fine for me.  Too much colour would compete with the patterns on the paper.  Best to keep it simple.

So cut your paper into A4 sheets.  Set up a template and print.

I found this to be great for thank you cards also as it saved time for me.  No gluing buttons, cutting out intricate flowers or any other crazy stuff I've done in the past.  I do like sending thank you cards, but sometimes I get halfway through and wish I hadn't started.  (Out of a previous lot of cards, only half a dozen were actually finished and posted out - sorry everyone else....)

Painting with Cars

This is an idea I got from Phin's daycare teacher.  She was trying to engage him in painting by combining it with his number one passion: cars. 
All you need for this one is some paint, brushes, paper and toy cars with different wheel textures. 
If you're using child friendly poster paint it will wash off the cars easily with water.
I used my trusty wallpaper sample book to get some grey textured paper for a 'road' look.  (If using vinyl wallpaper and paint gets too thick, poster paint will flake off a bit once dry).

Techniques:

• Dollop of paint in a tray and roll car through then drive it on the paper.
• Paint using brush directly onto tyres then drive it on the paper.
• Paint directly onto paper then roll cars through spreading paint around.

Painting onto paper before rolling car through.

One finished work showing true artistic genius!

The artist is likely to get sidetracked and start painting cars and generally playing more than painting, but that is the goal.  This is great for getting a car mad, paint averse child into art.

Like a true off roader.  Only the mud puddle is a weird yellow colour.

Wallpaper Bunting

For my mum's 60th birthday picnic I bought a cheap gazebo. Using some of my wallpaper sample books I then made some lovely wallpaper bunting to make it slightly more festive.  Token effort, but cute, and being wallpaper it lives on to liven up another party.

Cut out your triangle template and if you are clever, you will double it up to become a diamond.  If you are like me and like to save time so that your project takes twice as long to do, stick with the triangle....

So you need a piece of wallpaper big enough to fit a diamond (two triangles end to end).  Easier to have the diamond in one piece because you then fold it in half ready to hang over a cord and wallpaper/cellulose paste together.

....and the pictures ended up sideways.  How did that happen?  Well they can stay that way.  Cool vertical grass wall.

Framed Wallpaper

 I was invited to my step-niece's 21st birthday.  It was a girls-only party with a high tea theme.  She even borrowed her great-grandmothers teacup sets for the occasion.  It was a really lovely afternoon and evening with her gorgeous friends and all the women in her family.  I decided to make her a framed picture of a tea cup using wallpaper.  I attached the pieces by sewing them together.   And it was for all the guests to sign the back of it.  (Much like people do with those wooden 21st keys, but a more dainty version).  I used a sheet of acetate to protect the wallpaper instead of glass, but next time think I will skip any protection altogether.  Wallpaper is designed to be durable after all.

Here are some versions I have done for myself and another friend, but just using one piece of wallpaper as the patterns are detailed enough to admire for themselves.

Wallpaper I bought from a garage sale. 

 

Wallpaper from a roll we found in a cupboard when we moved in to our house.

Wallpaper from a sample book.

All these wallpaper frames are upcycled obects.  I have used old frames that we no longer use or ones from charity shops and I spray paint them white.  Same goes for all the wallpaper.  I recommend going to local paint shops and seeing if they have any old sample books lying around.  The papers in those will keep you going for years.  I got 5 sample books about 15 years ago and am still using them for projects.  Some of the patterns have come back into fashion now!