DINING ROOM ARTWORK

There's nothing like company coming to provide me a little motivation to finish up loose ends on projects. 

Granted, our company this weekend will be around 15 6th grade boys and 3 college students, but still, visitors none the less.  (I will be forever grateful for any little prayers you might remember us in this weekend... 15. sixth. grade. boys.  For three days. With one shower for them all to share.  Oh yeah.)

Are you tired of seeing my dining room yet?  I hope not, at least until I finish the last two projects for it.  After completing the china cabinet I finished up the next to the last project...artwork.

I've told you I have tall walls (10 feet) so there was a pretty big space between the top of the china cabinet and the ceiling.  I considered putting something on top of the cabinet, but wanted to keep a cleaner look, and there's already enough stuff piled inside the cabinet without adding more to the top.  I thought about hanging my new friend over the cabinet, but really like him where he is over the back door.  So, I decided to hang some art over the cabinet, as well as on the sides.

I still love the botanical wall in the kitchen, but thought more floral prints would be a bit too much on this wall.  After seeing these beautiful prints that Carolyn did, I emailed her and she was kind enough to let me know that they came from a set that she purchased at Barnes and Noble.  I bought them right away (on clearance!) and have had them waiting in the wings until I got to this point in the dining room.  Here's a link from Amazon:

Amazon

Just like the frames I used in the kitchen, I bought the same ones from Michaels again, 12x18, on sale for $7 for a 2 pack.  I used the same method to hang them-2 nails and then I just hook the back edge of the frame on them rather than using the designated hanger on the back (here's the most exciting photo you'll ever see on my blog!):

This keeps the frames from tilting and makes it easy to slide them a little to the left or right to line them up perfectly.  Just like with the botanicals in the kitchen, I mounted the prints on white posterboard with double sided photo splits and popped them in the frames.

The mirrors are Better Homes and Gardens from Walmart-$15!  They were black but I used some Rub & Buff to make them gold.

My weekend bargain...the large mercury globe from Pottery Barn...marked down to $18!  I saw it last week, didn't get it, and when I returned of course there were none on the shelf.  Always ask!  They had a few more hiding out in the back room.

By the way, can I tell you how much I love mini carnations?  I bought these before New Year's Eve, and I think this is at least the third photo shoot they've made it into.  They last forever!  Best $3 at the grocery store you'll ever spend!

Here's a little before and after from just a few months ago...

Just about all done!  Other completed projects include the houndstooth drapes and the upholstered host wingbacks, so the table is the only thing left on my to-do list for this room.

I moved the kids' silhouettes to the originally intended spot in the hall.

The cost of this project, for the prints, 8 frames, 4 sheets of posterboard, and two mirrors came in right under $80.  Not bad for a wall full of art!

Tomorrow I'll show you an invaluable tool I use when I'm in the planning stages of so many projects.  I used it on this one, and it saved so much trial and error!

Linking up with:

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

The Shabby Nest
Thrifty Decor Chick